| Producer | Azienda Agricola Mantenera |
| Crop Year | 2020/2021 |
| Cultivar | Blend – Coratina, Majatica, Leccino |
| Region | Basilicata (Tricarico) |
| Harvesting Method | – |
| Extraction Method | Continuous, two phases |
| Certification | Organic |
| Tasted on | Nov 2020 |
Thank you to Az. Agr. Mantenera for sending us their Organic EVOO.
EVOO – Food pairing advice
Cheeses Vegetable Soup Meat Fish
Basilicata is one of the smallest regions of Italy… but as popular wisdom suggests, good things come in small packages, olive oil, too! With most of its territory being dedicated to wine production, Basilicata olive groves are still able to capture the best of their soil, “customizing” the product thanks to the unique composition of the terroir characterizing the region.
In Mantenera EVOO, we find local cultivars like Majatica, as well as cultivars from southern Italy (i.e. Coratina), and other more international ones (Leccino). The result is anything but what one would expect from this blend: Mantenera is an EVO oil with a flawless strong character which, thanks to its well-defined soul, can find its place in many gastronomic combinations. Mantenera EVOO adds an extra touch to the dish in both taste and flavour, something one should look for from every high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Az. Agricola Mantenera has 3 key characteristics: a strong bond with its territory, and the desire to respect nature (which they do by following the principles of organic cultivation) as well as the authentic taste and green scents characteristic of the olive groves of the region; all is enclosed in a bottle of EVO oil which can be used to go with different kind of dishes, from appetizers to main courses – a task anything but easy.
Read our recipe with Mantenera EVOO: Mushroom and walnut pesto.
Appearance & Visual Analysis
Mantenera EVO oil is rich in lime green pigments, lemon yellow shades of colour and brilliant highlights.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Rocket Green Olive Artichoke Green Almond Chicory Green Walnut Grass Black Pepper White Pepper Pot Herbs
At the olfactory analysis, Mantenera EVOO expresses the typical aromas of the cultivars which bring the blend to life: from vegetal hints of flavour to those of Mediterranean herbs, up to spicy notes; the aromas of rocket, green olive, artichoke, green almond and chicory are immediately perceptible, and are then followed by vegetable aromas of walnut husk and cut grass. In the closure, spiciness (a mix of black and white pepper) and a variegated combination of aromatic herbs.
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Rocket Green Olive Artichoke Chicory Green Walnut Black Pepper Rosemary Laurel
Mantenera EVOO shows a clear coherence between its aromas and flavours. On the palate, vegetable notes of flavour, spiciness and a mix of aromatic herbs are all perceptible, just as in the olfactory analysis (if not more). Mantenera EVOO satisfies the mouth with notes of artichoke, rocket, chicory, walnut, and a sensation reminiscent of that of olive pit; in the ending, scents of aromatic herbs, especially rosemary and bay leaves. The pungency sensation is quite strong, but the bitterness is even greater.
We love it with…
Learn how to pair food and EVOO with our BEA Method.
Mantenera EVOO is perfect to go with a wide range of preparations: from appetizers to cheese, soups and cold cuts, but also strong-flavoured fish; it also excellently pairs with pizza.
Mantenera EVOO goes well on meat and vegetable appetizers, especially hot bruschetta: added before serving, a crudo, it releases all its aromas and taste. Try it also on semi-hard cheese such as pecorino, provolone, Asiago, taleggio and sweet gorgonzola.
Feelings of bitterness and pungency (which indicate a high polyphenolic content) make Mantenera EVOO perfect even with the most challenging combinations, such as those with minestrone, vegetable and meat soups. Mantenera EVOO is also perfect on second courses of meat (both red and white), and fish dishes with a strong flavour (tuna, octopus, swordfish); and why not, even on pizza or hot focaccia.
We paired it with Paccheri & homemade pesto sauce with mushrooms and walnut. This is a very simple, seasonal preparation, enriched by the explosion of aromas and flavours of Mantenera EVOO added both in the sauce and on the dish a crudo.
The vegetable notes of Mantenera EVOO combine with those of the undergrowth of the mushrooms, the bitterness of rocket, as well as with the rich taste of Prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano. Together with thyme, Mantenera’s aroma manteca the dish and its flavours together, making each bite balanced yet explosive in taste!
Az. Agr. Mantenera
“The Azienda Agricola Mantenera was born in 2014 from our desire and passion for the land and nature. The search for a more human-friendly life dimension outside the city context pushed us to leave our places of birth and life so we purchased an olive grove in Basilicata in the municipality of Tricarico, in an area between the Gallipoli Park Cognato Piccole Dolomiti Lucane and the Mantenera State Forest, which inspired our name.
Our lifestyle choice obviously influences our olive production and consequently our oil. We strongly believe that nature should only be supported without being forced with chemical agents or mechanical interventions, which by eroding the soil impoverish it. Only the love for nature has allowed us to obtain organic certification and this guarantees our Healthy, Natural and Sustainable product.”
Az. Agr. Mantenera
Contrada Malcanale snc
75018, Tricarico (MT)
Basilicata – Italy
info.mantenera@gmail.com
Mantenera website
Terroir & Region
Basilicata
Basilicata is one of the smallest regions of southern Italy; although modest in size, it has always given its own unique characterization to its olive oils. its strategic position, enclosed by the great Italian olive oil regions of Puglia, Campania and Calabria, its microclimates, influenced by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas, similar yet profoundly different, and the characteristics of Basilicata’s soils, particularly exceptional in the volcanic area of Vulture, are all factors which influenced its production.
Read more about regions.
Blend
The Majatica di Ferrandina cultivar takes its name from the city in which it is mainly found, Ferrandina. Over the years, the fruits of this cultivar have been mainly used as black table olives. Today, Majatica di Ferrandina is widely used for the production of olive oils; its tree is characterized by partial self-sterility, late and gradual ripening of its fruits, and fairly high yield in olive oil production.
Coratina is an olive cultivar typical of Apulia (Puglia). It’s one of the cultivars with the highest concentration of polyphenols, organic molecules with natural antioxidant characteristics, which confers the oil its strong bitter and pungent notes. Coratina’s EVOOs are also featured by a reduced acid content.
Read more about cultivars.