Ilio - Extra virgin olive oil monovariety Nera di Oliena
I have always said that when the day comes to choose an olive oil, it will always and without a doubt be Ilio. It is made from an olive variety that grows only in the hills of Oliena - hence the name "Nera di Oliena" - and is known for its high polyphenol content.
When it comes to olive oil, Ilio is the pride of Coop Olioliena, or simply COOP, the short name for the agricultural cooperative founded in 2016 with the aim of bringing together the best olive crops in Oliena and producing the best olive oil on the island of Sardinia.
Ilio is produced in a very small quantity and follows a process that makes its taste more fruity and its polyphenol content higher than other oils: Ilio is made by pressing early-harvested olives at 20 degrees instead of 27 degrees, which preserves much of the fruitiness and antioxidants in the young olives.
Basically, the lower the pressing temperature, the lower the yield. This is why Ilio's production is limited from year to year, and yes, basically what you have here is a
unique and hard to find olive oil from this beautiful, unspoilt region of Sardinia, Barbagia.
Flavour-wise, it has the most beautiful balance of fruitiness and spiciness and absolutely enhances every dish I have cooked so far. Its texture
is actually reminiscent of a highly concentrated fruit juice and makes you forget that you are actually holding an oil in your hands.
From a nutritional and health perspective, Ilio provides about 550 mg of polyphenols. Very good olive oils have a high content of polyphenols, starting at 250 mg/litre. This makes Ilio an exceptional olive oil.
We're not just saying that, but judging by the awards at the "Ercole Olivario 2022" - Italy's most important olive oil competition - where Ilio has just been awarded first prize in the medium-fruity category, we could really say that it could be one of the best there is.
And judging by the jury's words, it sounds rather like an Italian aria:
"Green fruitiness of medium intensity with fresh herbaceous, floral and green apple notes. On the palate, notes of leaves, artichokes and green almonds complete the aromatic profile. Bitterness and spiciness of medium intensity in balance with each other. Great complexity, excellent harmony and persistence".
Ilio is a so-called "varietal olive oil", which means that it is produced from only one olive variety: Nera di Oliena ( Black of Oliena )
Although Nera di Oliena is a medium-sized olive variety, the proportion of oil in the fruit is relatively small, so the usual yield is about 14 to 18 litres of olive oil per 100 kilos of raw fruit when milled at 26 degrees.
But Ilio should get the best from the Nera di Oliena. The olives are harvested early, long before the fruit is ripe, to get the highest amounts of polyphenols and antioxidants. This means a lower yield, but a more intense oil and a greater amount of health-promoting ingredients.
What's more, while other olive oils are extracted at 26 degrees, Ilio is pressed at 20 degrees, resulting in a maximum yield of 10 (!) litres of oil per 100 kg of raw fruit and usually yielding more than 500-600 mg of polyphenols/litre.
