Thank you to Az. Sassonia for sending us their Sassonia Blend EVOO.
| Producer | Az. Agr. Sassonia |
| Crop Year | 2020/2021 |
| Cultivar | Roggianella – Cassanese |
| Region | Calabria |
| Harvesting Method | Manual and with shakers |
| Extraction Method | Continuous, two phases – Cold extraction |
| Milling | Within 6-12 hours of collection |
| Certification | Organic – Bio |
| Tasted on | December 2020 |
Sassonia EVOO borrows its name from a little Calabrian locality in the Morano Calabro area surrounded by the Pollino National Park; there, olive trees cultivation is brought to its limit, as we can find groves up to 500 asl. To start the cultivation of an olive grove in such conditions was not an easy task, but Emanuele, owner of the Az. Agricola Sassonia, had the courage to do it, and over the years he has learned how to take special care of this extraordinary terroir.
Today Sassonia manufactures its own blend, a mix between two important cultivars of the Calabria region: Roggianella and Grossa di Cassano (or Cassanese). To the organoleptic analysis, the olive oil is rich in distinct green vegetable notes which fulfil your senses; in both the olfactory and gustatory analysis, those flavours are softened up by spicy and fruity tones which make the olive oil taste well balanced and very pleasant.
The Sassonia EVOO blend is an extra virgin olive oil which can enrich a lot of different kinds of dishes, especially those with strong character and flavours such as soups and red meats.
Appearance & Visual Analysis
Sassonia EVOO shows a perfect mix between lemon yellow and lime green.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Grass Green Almond Vanilla Spinach Olives Jujube
Sassonia EVOO is particularly rich in grass, green almond, spinach and olives notes; it is also enriched by scents of Jujube and sweet vanilla.
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Green Almond Green Olive Green Apple Spinach Lettuce
During the tasting, the light bitterness feeling of Sassonia EVOO involves immediately all your taste buds, along with plenty of various notes of vegetable aromas: almond, green olives, lettuce, and flavour tones of spinach; an aroma of yellow apple suddenly sweetens and amazes the palate.
We love it with…
Read our method to perfectly pair food and EVOO in our article: Olive Oil Pairings.
Sassonia EVOO blend has a very well-defined character, with prominent bitterness and pungency feelings; that is why we advise its use on meat or vegetable dishes especially. As for appetizers, we advise it to try it on savoy cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and potatoes, mixed stuffed vegetables (aubergines, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes), baked or fried meatballs prepared with white or tomato sauce (read our recipe here), vegan eggplant meatballs, polenta croutons with minced meat, and meat tartare. Add a few drops of Sassonia EVOO on mixed green salads for a fast easy dish with a unique taste!
You can experiment with Sassonia EVOO by adding it on lentil and cotechino soup, or red meat dishes (braised, prepared alla pizzaiola – cooked in a tomato sauce – or the Calabrian recipe Agnello del pastore, shepherd’s lamb). For something more international, you can pair Sassonia EVOO with stewed meat like goulash, or beef chilli.
We paired Sassonia EVOO with a super tasty meaty dish: meatloaf with a soft cheese heart, and baked potatoes; the olive oil really boosts the taste of the dish, rebalancing the sweetness of the meat and cheese with its bitterness and pungency. The result was excellent!
Azienda Agricola Sassonia
The company covers about 10 hectares on the Calabrian side of the majestic Pollino National Park – more precisely, in the municipality of Morano Calabro (CS) – a pristine place characterized by green hilly landscapes. The soils composition and the altitude contribute to make this territory unique, offering a fertile land to numerous trees and other herbaceous species.
The azienda is divided into a specialized arboretum for the cultivation of olive trees, arable lands, pastures and woods. The olive oil cultivation, strictly organic, is managed through the use of agronomic machinery which allows the respect of the surroundings and its equilibrium, and minimizes environmental impact.
AZIENDA AGRICOLA SASSONIA
Via Nicola De Cardona, snc
Morano Calabro (CS) – 87016
Calabria – Italy
+39 3208147769
Az. Agr. Sassonia Website
Terroir & Region
Calabria
Calabria is the tip of the Italian boot, and one of the regions with the highest level of olive oil production along with Puglia, Sicily and Tuscany. It is historically proven that olive growing was introduced in those lands by Greek colonists. The climate of this southern region is strongly influenced by its wild mountainous territory, which pushes the altitude of the olive groves up to 200 m / 400 m above sea level.
Discover other regions.
Cultivar / Olive Variety
Roggianella / Cassanese
Cassanese is a Calabrian cultivar, also known as Oliva Grossa di Cassano thanks to the large size of its fruits. Its fruits ripen late and the yield in olive oil production is medium / high. Olive oils made from this variety are characterized by hints of artichoke, almond, tomato and aromatic herbs.
Roggianella is a cultivar typically found in Calabria; its tree is rustic, autofertile and very resistant to the most typical fungal and bacterial infections, and to parasites. Roggianella has a late and progressive ripening and average olive oil yield; its olive oils are of medium intensity and are characterized by grass, artichoke and almond scents.
Discover other cultivars.