Thank you to Az. Depalo for sending us their Giove EVOO.
| Producer | Az. Depalo |
| Crop Year | 2019/2020 |
| Cultivar | Coratina 100% |
| Region | Apulia (Giovinazzo) |
| Harvesting Method | Mechanical |
| Extraction Method | Continuous – Cold extraction |
| Milling | Within 3 hours of collection |
| Tasted on | June 2020 |
In Roman mythology, Jupiter (Giove in Italian) is the king of all Gods, whose symbols are the lightning and thunder, tokens of power. And just like Jupiter, Giove is one of the EVOO at the pinnacle of Italian high quality olive oil production, mainly thanks to its typical bitterness and pungency of the Coratina which are a testament to one of the highest polyphenol contents in EVO oils.
Due to its typical strong flavour, it is not easy to produce a balanced Coratina-based olive oil, not only taste-wise but also in regards to food pairing; yet Depalo achieves the desired result perfectly in its Giove EVOO! Even more to the point, Giove EVOO succeeds in representing the elegant and balanced side of Coratina thanks to its notes rich in green vegetables, aromatic herbs and spicy tones – the intensity of those flavours speak for themselves, while binding together with powerful but perfectly integrated feelings of bitterness and pungency. Giove’s characteristics makes this EVOO very pleasant to go with a long list of dishes, including a very unexpected one: chocolate!
If you like our reviews, also read Perseo and Danae EVOO by Depalo!
Appearance & Visual Analysis
Giove EVOO appears of a vivid lemon yellow colour, with light green hues.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Chicory Green Almond Artichoke Grass Green Olive Basil Sage 
Thyme Tomato leaf Black Pepper White Pepper
Rich green vegetable flavour nuances fill your nose gracefully; among all, we can feel tones of chicory, green almond, artichoke, fresh grass, olive and tomato leaves. Those flavours are then enriched by spicy tones of black and white pepper, flowers of Helichrysum and a rich Mediterranean pot herbs aroma (thyme and basil and sage in particular).
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Green Almond Artichoke Walnut Husk Black Pepper Thyme Clove Rosemary Liquorice root Rocket Chicory
The coherence of flavour between aroma and taste highlights the extra quality of Giove EVOO. The imprint of the Coratina is immediately perceived in the EVOO’s peerless bitterness, and furthermore in its notes of flavours: green almond, chicory, walnut husk, rocket and artichoke, followed by aromas of Mediterranean pot herbs such as thyme, rosemary and oregano, and spicy nuances of black pepper, clove and Liquorice root.
The feeling of pungency further enriches the taste of Giove EVOO – it explodes in the mouth well mixed up with bitterness, creating an ultimate, ideal balance in the mouth.
We love it with…
Learn how to pair EVOO and food on our easy guide: Olive Oil Pairings.
Giove EVOO has a strong yet balanced character, and thanks to these characteristics it can be paired to strong flavoured dishes, supporting their taste without covering it in any way, enriching their flavours, making every preparation tastier.
Appetizers: Giove EVOO’s flavour boosts the taste of bruschetta recipes; try it on grilled vegetables or fresh mixed tomatoes, or Caprese with mozzarella and Manduria tomatoes. Fresh mixed salads will also improve their tastiness in combination with Giove, while also getting a healthy boost; you can try it on carrots, olives, tomatoes, arugula, feta and almonds salads – so delicious!
What about pasta and first courses? Giove tastes ideal with meaty pasta or vegetable soups, especially when added a crudo.
Grilled meat, pork, stews, braised and vegetables can also be paired to Giove EVOO – the Coratina-based oil will bind together the taste of meat and vegetables, adding to your preparations its pungency, a much needed characteristic when it comes to cleaning the palate of grease feelings, preparing the mouth for the next bite.
And guess what? Giove EVOO can be paired to desserts too, especially to those made with chocolate. Would you like some 70% (or more) chili dark chocolate but don’t have any? Just add a few drops of Giove to any piece of 70% dark chocolate, or to a chocolate cake with a soft heart, and you will discover the magic of this extraordinary EVOO: the pungency of the olive oil will be transferred to the chocolate, giving it a final, pleasant stinging twist which mimics the presence of chili in it.
We paired Giove EVOO to an international dish: Scottona hamburger with caramelized red onion (e.g. the Apulian red onion typical of Acquaviva), melted caciocavallo cheese, grilled courgettes and tomatoes, all flavoured up by a delicious homemade mayonnaise prepared with Danae EVOO. Add a drizzle of Giove after cooking to bind the flavours of all these different ingredients together; furthermore, Giove’s bitterness will counterbalance the sweetness of the meat and vegetables, and its pungency will help cleaning the palate from any fat taste the hamburger may leave in the mouth.
Azienda Agricola Depalo
The colours of the sky, the sun, the sea and the earth are enclosed in Azienda Agricola Depalo’s logo, an abstract which leaves your mind free to interpret all the hidden meanings behind it.
“The history of the Depalo family is intertwined with the branches moved by the wind and the perfume of sea breeze. Heavy and illuminated by the sun, the olive trees are full of fruits. Farmers since three generations, the love for the land runs through their veins. With Savino, the third generation, the cultivation of olive trees is facing a new challenge: the production of an excellent extra virgin olive oil.” Depalo website.
Even just from these words, we can perceive that the passion, love and true respect of Depalo for their land, the environment and above all for their olive trees and extra virgin olive oils are true; all that is even more emotionally involving when you try their products – and especially their EVOOs – in which these words become the tangible expression of their philosophy.
AZIENDA AGRICOLA DEPALO
Piazza Duomo, 55
70054 Giovinazzo (BA)
Apulia – Italy
PHONE: +39 331 6443974 | +39 347 5972116
EMAIL: info@oliodepalo.it
Depalo Website
Terroir & Region
Apulia
Puglia, or Apulia, is one of the Southern regions of Italy. The climate is Mediterranean: hot and sunny summers, with mild rainy winters. This area is the heart of Italian olive oil production, and when you try EVO oil from Apulia it’s almost as if you could taste the product of the region’s wellness, the intensity of its sun, the strength of its wind, the sweet saltiness of the Adriatic sea – this is the richness of that territory. And when this extraordinary setting meets the enormous skills of the producers and millers of Apulia, you are sure to try one of the best expressions of Extra virgin olive oil.
Discover other regions.
Cultivar / Olive variety
Coratina
Coratina is an olive cultivar typical of Apulia (Puglia), also known as “Racioppa”. Its name derived from the city Corato, near Bari. Coratina olive trees are quite resistant to a lot of parasites or plant diseases and also adaptable to different soil composition. Thanks to that it is quite indicated for organic agriculture. Olives have late ripening and high oil yield. Coratina is one of the olive cultivars with the highest concentration of polyphenols, organic molecules with natural antioxidant characteristics, which confers the oil its accentuated bitter and pungent notes.
Also discover other cultivars.