500 ml (2011 harvest)
- Tuscany, Italy
In the Carmignano hills northwest of Florence, from an estate graced with vineyards and olive groves and home to a villa dating from the time of the Medici family, comes Tenuta di Capezzana Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.
Serving Suggestions
This is the ultimate drizzling olive oil: drizzle over fresh bread and sprinkle with sea salt, whisk drop by drop into balsamico for a luscious salad dressing, or drizzle over thick-sliced mozzarella and tomatoes strewn with fresh basil for the perfect caprese.
About the Producers: A Long Love of Olives
The Tenuta di Capezzana estate lies in the beautiful hills of Carmignano, just 24 km northwest of Florence. The villa, which dates back to the Medici family, is surrounded by lovely vineyards and olive groves; the estate produces award-winning wine, as well as one of the best Tuscan olive oils available.
There is archeological evidence that grapes and olives have been cultivated at Capezzana for more than 1200 years! This rich history is honored by the current residents and owners, Count Ugo and Countess Lisa Contini Bonacossi, who today carry on the ancient tradition of making fine wine and fine olive oil, skillfully blending traditional production practices with more modern techniques.
Alessandro Contini Bonacossi bought Capezzana in the 1920's when he returned to Italy from Spain, and management of the estate's wine and olive oil production has stayed in the family ever since. Today, Alessandro's son Ugo and his wife Lisa are the owners of the property, and three of their children and their granddaughter are running the estate.
About the Olive Oil
Capezzana oil is pressed on modern equipment, yielding a clean, fresher-tasting oil. The oil is settled in the orciaia (oil jar room) in a mixture of terracotta and steel urns, then bottled after a light, natural filtration through cotton.
Capezzana Olive Oil is aromatic, soft and fruity, with a nice peppery kick - a classic Tuscan extra-virgin oil. Moraiolo, an early-harvest olive, makes up most of the blend, with a smaller percentage of Pendolino and Leccino varieties. The olives are processed within 12-24 hours of the harvest; the quick production time combined with Capezzana's particular processing technique, results in very low-acid, high-flavor oil that is rich in heart-healthy polyphenols.
Soak up a bit of Italian agricultural history and tradition with a bottle of this wonderful oil from a beautiful part of the world.