| Producer | Tenuta di San Donato |
| Crop Year | 2020/2021 |
| Cultivar | Moraiolo |
| Region | Toscana (Calenzano) |
| Harvesting Method | Manual & Mechanical |
| Extraction Method | Continuous – Cold Extracted |
| Tasted on | Jan 2021 |
Thank you to Tenuta S. Donato for sending us their Moraiolo EVOO.
EVOO – Food pairing advice
Vegetables Pasta Meat Cheeses
When thinking of “classic” Tuscany and its Extra Virgin Olive Oils, we are reminded of gentle hills adorned with olive trees, ancient houses from the 1500s in forgotten villages, and the stories of the noble families who have shaped these lands over time. Tenuta San Donato has all that in its DNA, combined with that of three Monocultivar EVO oils of this region: Moraiolo, Frantoio and Leccino. In this review, we discover a 100% Moraiolo which Maddalena Pancrazi’s company has the care to press as close as possible to harvest time, in order to obtain a “fruit juice” rich in vegetal and aromatic scents, deep and elegant in its aromas.
Appearance & Visual Analysis
Tenuta San Donato’s Moraiolo EVO oil is of a bright lime green colour.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Lettuce Fennel Mint 
Thyme Green Almond Asparagus Thistle Spinach Black Pepper White Pepper Rocket Artichoke
The Moraiolo monocultivar shows an excellent olfactory mix of vegetable scents, aromatic herbs aromas and spices. In the vegetable component we find spinach, lettuce, fresh rocket, green asparagus, cut grass, bitter and toasted almond, artichoke, and thistle; right along that, a mix of black and white pepper, and a bouquet of Mediterranean herbs’ aromas of thyme, mint and fennel.
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Green Almond Thyme Black Pepper Rosemary Mint Liquorice root Chicory Artichoke
To the taste, the vegetal and aromatic scents typical of Moraiolo-based olive oils are all to be found in this EVOO by Tenuta S. Donato: bitter almond, artichoke, chicory, an excellent spicy note of black pepper, and a delicate licorice flavour. Among the flavour of aromatic herbs, we recognize the taste of rosemary, thyme, and an elegant mentholated aftertaste. The bitter sensation immediately fills the palate, followed by a slightly milder pungency in the throat.
We love it with…
Learn how to pair food and EVOO with our BEA Method.
The characteristic vegetable and aromatic notes of 100% Moraiolo EVOO by Tenuta San Donato make it ideal to go on meat and vegetable preparations especially; try it on bruschetta and other kind of appetizers, semi-hard cheese, salad, vegetarian and vegan dishes, minestrone and summer soup.
Excellent on first courses of meat, and second courses of both red and white meat (as well as wild game), Moraiolo also gives flavour to recipes of lake fish, baked or grilled, and as an a crudo final touch on pinza romana.
Tenuta di San Donato
Tenuta di San Donato is located in a panoramic position on the homonymous hills of Calenzano, about 14 km from Florence and 6 from Prato, right between the Calvana Mountains and Monte Morello. The farm covers an area of about 450 hectares, of which about 50 are dedicated to olive groves, and 3.2 are covered by vineyards.
Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino and Pendolino, the traditional Tuscan cultivars, are harvested manually and divided in small boxes on the base of the different varieties’ maturation levels; the fruits are then cold pressed within 8 hours from harvesting to ensure superior quality of the final product.
The company’s mill works at a continuous cycle, at a controlled extraction temperature which is kept below 26°. The oil is filtered and stored in 5-quintal stainless steel drums.
The olive oil production of the estate has always been of high quality, so much that it was first awarded back at the 1906 Milan International Fair.
Tenuta di San Donato
Viale dei Cipressi,
650041 Calenzano (FI) Italia
(+39) 055/8879457
info@tenutasandonato.it
Tenuta di San Donato website
Terroir & Region
Tuscany
Throughout history, Tuscany’s world-renewed hills have inspired painters, travellers and poets. Today these landscapes are widely cultivated with vineyards and olive groves, which fits so perfectly harmonic in the scene that it seems like they were painted in the scenery. Almost 119 olive varieties can be found in Tuscany.
Discover other regions.
Cultivar / Olive Variety
Moraiolo
Moraiolo is widespread in Italy, with its major qualitative expression to be found in the central regions of Umbria, Toscana, Lazio and Abruzzo. It is used in EVOO monocultivar or either in blend, to confer accentuated bitterness and pungency (which are due to its high presence of polyphenols) and medium-intense fruity notes to any olive oil.
Discover more.