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AN OLIVE OIL TASTING
Recently, Ben Andersen, one of Rosenthal Wine Merchant's sales representatives from California weighed in with his reflections on our olive oils. From the clean-as-a-bell Recaredo to the assertive Monastero, we've shared his thoughts to further illuminate your next olive oil purchase.
Recaredo: I will say that in my recent side by side olive oil tasting, the Recaredo stood out as totally unique for being ultra-light weight ... very clean, with just the faintest hint of pepper on the delicate finish. This would be a perfect olive oil for fish, including crudo ... the Recaredo olive oil is special stuff.
Armato S-ciappa: Fruity, all purpose. This is rounder, more intense, and less elegant than the U-Re. Clean, with very little green/spice to it.
Armato U-Re: Much more silky than the S-ciappa; clean and elegant. Has almost the power of the Bea (which I’m assuming everyone is familiar with) without any of the green notes, some comes across as less intense.
Monastero: Peppery and prickly. Quite assertive. For me, this is a great salad oil as the vegetal notes and spice work well with greens. Use when you actually want the flavor of the oil to show through. Also great for dipping as part of an antipasti spread. I’m sure would work to finish meat off the grill, as would the Bea.
Orgolio (Tuscany): Luxuriously textured (like the Bea and Armato U-are) with just a touch of spice on the back end (but more than the Recaredo). Not as vegetal as the Bea nor as spicy as the Monastero. More intense flavor than the U-Re (Ligurian oils are known for being clean, down the middle flavor profile-wise).
Bea Grezzo - Some green notes and less peppery than the Monastero in particular. Rather intense and quite rich, making it a great finishing oil for meat and also a great dipping oil.
Montevertine - Haven’t had this in a bit, but my recollection is it’s more yellow-fruited (versus green) and elegant. Not vegetal or spicy. Luxurious for sure. Along the lines of the Orgolio but perhaps not as spicy on the finish.
