Tenuta i Bonsi , Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vintage: 2025
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TB502B25 | 6 x 75 | Other | Available |
Producer
Tenuta i Bonsi near Reggello, southeast of Florence, has been in the Budini-Gattai family since the 19th century. Leopoldo Gattai was a successful construction entrepreneur who gained significant wealth around the Italian unification when Florence was briefly the Italian capital. He invested in agriculture, purchasing I Bonsi and several other large Tuscan estates. Today the Budini-Gattai family farms over 380 hectares, of which 140 are olive groves. Over two-thirds of these olive trees are the Frantoio variety, with the rest predominantly Moraiolo plus a small amount of Leccino.
These olive trees are cultivated organically on the south-facing slopes of the Pratomagno mountain range, at an average elevation of 400 metres. I Bonsi houses a 15th-century olive press, as well as one installed in 1950. Yet it is a more modern press currently used, capable of extracting and preserving oil of the highest quality. The family directly supervises all operations and the quality of their Frantoio olive oil is well regarded locally. The area surrounding Reggello has been recognised for centuries by Florentines as one of the great areas for premium extra virgin olive oil. This is evident when tasting I Bonsi’s oils, which result from centuries of agricultural tradition and decades of passion and commitment to quality.
Olive Groves
These olive trees are organically cultivated on the south-facing slopes of the Pratomagno mountain range, at an average elevation of 400 metres. The area surrounding Reggello has been recognised for centuries by Florentines as one of the great areas for premium extra virgin olive oil. The south-facing terraces, divided by drystone walls, combined with the soil, provide an ideal environment for olive trees that yield a delicious, intensely perfumed oil with fruity rather than peppery notes.
Harvest
The 2025 Tuscan olive oil vintage was varied and, in some cases, challenging. Flowering in May was followed by very hot weather in early June, and an unusually mild July, which in some cases allowed the olive fruit fly to propagate. Thankfully, the resulting damage was mitigated through careful management and monitoring by growers, setting the groves up to withstand a difficult September marked by cooler temperatures and rainstorms. Harvesting began with much better weather in mid-October and concluded in November. After the abundant 2024 vintage, lower yields were anticipated for 2025, with harvest yields expected to be around half of last year’s. However, this is compensated by a better conversion of ‘resa’ (the quantity of oil extracted per olive), which had been exceptionally low in 2024.
Production
The olive harvest is carried out by hand, and the olives are cold‑pressed just hours after picking in the farm’s modern olive‑press. Particular attention is given to acidity, which is consistently maintained below 0.2 per cent (well under the 0.8 per cent Extra Virgin Olive Oil limit). The oil is then settled in a combination of 200‑year‑old terracotta Orci and stainless steel before being bottled after a light filtration.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
This Extra Virgin Olive Oil is intense fruity and savoury with notes of artichoke and a pleasant spicy after taste.