| Producer | Masseria Erasmi – Gusti d’Abruzzo |
| Crop Year | 2019/2020 |
| Cultivar | Castiglionese 100% |
| Region | Abruzzo |
| Extraction Method | Continuous – Cold Extracted |
Il Castiglionese is a proud product of its land, Abruzzo. The name of this EVO oil derives from the typical Abruzzo cultivar of Castiglionese, whose presence is mainly limited to the Fino Abruzzo valley and whose taste is genuine, strong and kind just as the people of its region. Abruzzo dishes require an EVOO which accompanies them without covering their strong flavour, and Il Castiglionese EVOO aromas are the perfect match to the many traditional food preparations of this wonderful region known for its ability to reinvent itself while always preserving its roots.
Appearance & Visual Analysis
Il Castiglionese is intense and rich in colour – it appears of a vivid honey-lemon yellow, with golden highlights.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Sweet Almonds Thistle Tomato Leaf Grass
The medium intensity of the scent of Il Castiglionese feels genuine, authentic. The vegetable notes are predominant, followed by those of sweet almond and mild scents of freshly cut grass and thistles; a very light note of green tomato leaf completes the picture.
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Nettle Sweet Almonds Thistle
In the mouth, Il Castiglionese is gently bitter; it has a light/medium texture and a mild yet pungent aftertaste of sweet almond and vegetable aromas such as thistle and nettle.
We love it with…
Il Castiglionese is recommended to be used in traditional Abruzzo recipes. This EVOO doesn’t cover the taste of dishes, but accompanies the flavours by giving them a pleasant olive taste and genuine pungency.
In particular, we want to advice it for tomato sauce preparations such as “brodetto”, the traditional Abruzzo fish and tomato soup, “maltagliati” (irregularly shaped homemade pasta) with shrimps and chickpeas, and “chitarra” (homemade pasta typical of the Teramo province).
We used it even for a long and slow simmering tomato sauce preparation such as Timballo, Fiadoni and “sugo alle tre carni”, a ragù sauce prepared combining tomato sauce with 3 different kinds of meat: pork, lamb and beef.
Fiadoni Timballo Tomato Sauce
Il Castiglionese is also delicious with baked meat and potatoes, e.g. lamb “alla neretese” (cooked with tomatoes and peppers in the traditional manner of Nereto, a small town near Teramo).
Masseria Erasmi – Gusti d’Abruzzo
Masseria Erasmi – Gusti d’Abruzzo was established right in the heart of Abruzzo, surrounded by the mountains and the sea; it is a testament to the excellence of one of the most beautiful regions in the world, an almost impenetrable land crossed by men and history, adorned by an invaluable heritage of food and wine traditions, honored by the presence of generations of strong and kind men and women.
Masseria Erasmi – Gusti d’Abruzzo produces EVO oils, pasta, tomato sauce and other regional products.
MASSERIA ERASMI
Contrada Santa Croce, 2
64035 Castilenti (TE)
Abruzzo – Italy
+39 085 9492854
Masseria Erasmi website
Terroir & Region
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a small region in Central Italy, bordering Lazio (the region where Rome is located) to the west and the Adriatic sea to the east. Abruzzo is known to be “the greenest region in Europe”, as almost half of its area is set aside as national parks and protected nature reserves. Abruzzo hills are very characteristic, covered in vineyards and typical olive groves. Discover other regions.
Writer Primo Levi defined Abruzzo and its people as “forti e gentili” (strong and gentle), a saying which soon became the region’s motto.
Cultivar / Olive Variety
Castiglionese
Castiglionese is a typical autochthonous Abruzzo cultivar which can be found in the very restricted area of the Fino river valley, taking its name from the town of Castiglione Messer Raimondo. Castiglionese is a not self-fertile olive tree which is characterized by a medium yield and an early-medium ripening (October-November). This cultivar confers vegetable notes to its EVOOs, and an equilibrate bitterness and pungency which makes this cultivar perfect to go with a wide variety of dishes. Discover other cultivars.