| Producer | Frantoio Franci |
| Crop Year | 2020-2021 |
| Cultivar | Blend |
| Region | Tuscany – Val d’Orcia |
| Harvesting method | Manual with facilitators |
| Extraction Method | Modern/Continuous system |
| Tasted on | November 2020 |
Intensity, equilibrium and extreme high quality: these are the key features of Villa Magra EVO oil. When it comes to top-quality Italian EVOO production, Frantoio Franci is a trailblazer: already during the ‘80s the Franci family transformed their traditional oil mill into a modern mechanical one which functioned following the rules of modern extraction methods; the family has always invested in quality, and that shows in their awesome products.
VILLA MAGRA, whose name comes from that of the olive grove from which this extraordinary EVOO gets its appellation, is one of the most awarded Blend EVO oils in the world. In the olfactory and tasting analysis, vegetable scents of almonds, artichokes and grass, as well as spicy tones, are harmonically recognizable at every tasting.
What we have in our hands is a finely researched product which never covers the taste of food, but enriches and exalts all kinds of dishes thanks to its perfect balance between bitterness and pungency – from bruschetta with typical salumi and cheese, to traditional Tuscan plates such “Pici all’aglione”, “Pappa al Pomodoro” or vegetable soups with zucchini, fava beans, potatoes and so on; to fishplates as the typical “Cacciucco” soup or grilled fish.
Appearance & Visual Analysis
Villa Magra is of a beautifully charming lime green color, with a brilliant balance of yellow and green pigments.
Scents & Olfactory analysis
Artichoke Black Pepper Rocket Green Almond Fennel 
Thyme Mint Tomato leaf Laurel Cicory
Villa Magra EVO Oil is rich in vegetable scents such as fresh grass, rocket, laurel, mint, thyme, fennels, artichokes, chicory and a light flavour of tomato leaf. Bitter almond is also present, as are spicy notes of white and black pepper.
Tasting: Aromas & Flavours
Pungency
Bitterness
Bitterness and pungency characterize the long aftertaste of Villa Magra in the mouth. The equilibrium between fruity tones, bitterness and pungency is perfectly studied, passing throughout graceful aromas of artichokes, green pepper, bitter walnuts and almonds, rocket, black pepper and chicory flavors.
Artichoke Green Pepper Green Walnut Green Almond Rocket Chicory Black Pepper
We love it with…
Thanks to its medium-strong character and fine olfactory analysis results, and its perfect tasting equilibrium, Villa Magra EVO Oil can be paired with different kinds of food.
That being said, Villa Magra EVO Oil is wonderful when matched to typical Tuscan dishes: from traditional preparations such as Tuscan bruschetta, “Pappa al Pomodoro” (tomato soup) or “Pici all’aglione” (homemade fresh pasta with garlic tomato sauce), to grilled fish like cod or cuttlefish, or Cacciucco fish soup. It also pairs up perfectly with grilled meat such as juicy medium-rare Scottona or Chianina hamburgers, best served with caramelized Tropea onions and homemade mayo made with Villa Magra EVOO. Villa Magra EVO Oil can also match lamb and baked potatoes, which can be found in many different expressions of Italian regional cuisine.
We decided to experiment Villa Magra with Tuna Sushi. If you want you can try it too simply by buying our Extra Virgin Olive Oil Bag for Sushi.
Did you know that sushi and Evo oil are a surprising combination? Read Here our pairing advice.
Frantoio Franci
“We were virtually unknown. Our size and structure did not allow us to be competitive with the big producers. Furthermore, our skills in producing great oils were not matched by our commercial ability. It was then that we decided to make quality our goal; a challenging prospect, but a challenge which we eagerly embraced as the only way forward; true, genuine quality, absolute with no compromise.” cit Frantoio Franci
Frantoio Franci was established in 1958 in Tuscany, precisely in Val d’Orcia, one of the greenest and most evocative lands of Tuscany recognized even by UNESCO for its unique beauty, and a place where there is perfect harmony between the rhythms of nature and human labor.
In the ‘90s Giorgio Franci, the owner, was one of the first manufacturers to start bottling the olive oils he was producing, inspired by the expert minds of the Chianti and Montalcino producers of Tuscany’s wine scene.
Frantoio Franci is very attentive to market needs, and this results in the creation of a wide range of products – from the intense Villa Magra EVO Oil to the more gentle Olivastra Seggianese – which can satisfy the most different demands and requirements.
Their continuous study, perseverance, innovation, collaboration instead of competition, and research for the perfect balance and quality have led Frantoio Franci to be among the main exponents of Tuscan EVO oil in the world.
FRANTOIO FRANCI
Via Achille Grandi 5,
58033 Montenero d’Orcia (GR)
Toscana, Italia
Tel. +39 0564 954000
Frantoio Franci website
Terroir & Region
Tuscany
“Tuscany is a magical landscape where everything is kind around, everything is ancient and new.”
(Curzio Malaparte)
Tuscany is one of the most known Italian regions: the art, the culture, the history and the ongoing research for excellence makes it famous and exemplary all over the world. 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.
The temperate climate, the proximity to the sea, its soil diversity and richness, the know-how in agriculture and olive oil manufacturing create the perfect frame for wine and EVOO quality production. Just think of Sangiovese, one of the most known Italian grape varieties from which the classic Chianti is born, or the so-called “Super Tuscans”, Italian examples of innovation and quality research.
Thanks to their soft bitter notes and the characterizing scents, Tuscan olive varieties are now being cultivated in many other Italian regions. Moreover, their popularity resides on the resistance of those cultivars to relevant weather changes, and on their good-productivity: because of all these factors, these cultivars are today implanted all over the Italian peninsula – from the northern regions (e.g. Piemonte, Lombardia, Trentino) to the southern ones (e.g. Abruzzo, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily) – and beyond. Frantoio, Leccino, and Moraiolo are among the major cultivars, which in Tuscany express all their elegance and equilibrium qualities.
It was indeed in Toscana, thanks to the work of its enlightened millers, that decades ago the rebirth of quality Italian EVO oil took place, to then spread out all over the peninsula and beyond. Discover all the other regions.