Trappeto di Caprafico, a Journey into the Wilderness

This spring we travelled to the Adriatic to the wild and wonderful region of Abruzzo to visit Tommaso Masciantonio and his family, caretakers of the most beautiful piece of terroir that they dedicate their lives to.

 

We were first drawn to Abruzzo, largely thanks to the Intosso cultivar, high in polyphenols yet with a distinctive flavour profile all of its own. It was something we were missing from our selection and so we set about finding the absolute best. It took four years. We tasted and tasted until we landed on the sensational oils of Tommaso, who without a doubt has become a sensation in his interpretation and knowledge of this particular olive cultivar.

 

The stony plateau where Trappeto di Caprafico is located, at the foot of the Maiella massif in the Central Apennines, is a treasure trove of Mediterranean biodiversity – with many plants that are unique to these soils (over two thousand plant species are registered here, amounting to more than half of Italian flora).

These extraordinary high altitude limestone soils are one of the key ingredients of these beautiful oils – the stones have a shielding action against the growth of weeds which means fewer treatments are required but they also have the benefit of reflecting the sunlight back on to the trees, which I am certain has an impact on the quality of ripening and eventual polyphenol content of the oils.

 

Tommaso is one of the main protagonists of Abruzzo olive cultivation, an idol for many growers in the region and with a reputation for his exceptional quality monocultivars throughout Italy, nurtured particularly via restauranteurs and chefs.

He took us to lunch in one of his favourite local spots, Trattoria Meraviglia in Guardiagrele a humble looking roadside stop but with an attention to detail and ability to translate local ingredients to a high level. We sampled an array of local delicacies from Spaghettone con crema di ortica (nettle) to Brasciole con cipolla e alloro and Palotte Cacio e Ova

 

For anyone on the road, here are a few other noteworthy restaurants in the area

• MOM  acclaimed vegan restaurant in the scenic Gran Sasso hilltop town of Fano Adriano
• Arrosticini, il Piccolo Chiosco , Chieti Scalo
• Taverna dei Caldora, in super charming Pacentro
• Casa d’Angelo Fara Filiorum Petri

 

Tommaso sat with us and told his story, both faithful and courageous in equal measure. He is guardian of the land and dream of his forefathers and has added in his unique, precise vision – and the results are truly remarkable. We introduced these oils to you during our last harvest release and the feedback has been incredible – many of you wrote to us specifically about the Intosso monocultivar and this really is wonderful – we know that you see in Tommaso’s oils what we do and that makes this journey together hugely gratifying.