Located on the slopes of the Sabine Mountains, a few kilometres from Rome, Montelibretti is a beautiful town with origins linked to the Barberini family, rich feudal lords of the place. Its territory, entirely within the Sabina area, is characterised by the centuries-old olive groves whose olives are processed to obtain a highly appreciated extra virgin olive oil, pride of the town inhabitants. Traditional olive groves arise on soils with hilly formation, of calcareous origin, permeable, dry but not arid. The main cultivars are those typical of the Sabina area, i.e. Carboncella, Leccino, Raja, Pendolino, Frantoio, Moraiolo, Olivastrone, Salviana, Olivago and Rosciola. Harvesting, taking place between 1st October and the end of January, is done manually with the support of mechanical tools. The technique is certainly expensive, but it is necessary due steep terrains and certainly allows the collection of whole olives and at the right degree of ripeness. After harvesting, olives are taken to local oil mills, washed at room temperature, then pressed with mechanical processes that preserve the original peculiar characteristics of the fruit. Once ready, extra virgin olive oil can be sold in glass bottles, metal or ceramic cans not exceeding 5 litres. With its delicate and characteristic flavour, extra virgin olive oil is not only the protagonist of town fe
The olive oil has an intense golden yellow colour with light green hues, medium fruitiness reminding of olives, fresh vegetables (freshly cut grass and artichoke), aromatic herbs (sage). The taste is slightly bitter and pungent, with average aromatic persistence.