Le Ferre - Mono Peranzana Extra Virgin Olive Oil (500ml)

Peranzana is a cultivar tied closely to northern Puglia, named - so the story goes - for the olive shoots that Angevin rulers reportedly brought over from France and planted around the Capitanata plain. Whatever the etymology, it's a variety known for producing rounder, gentler oils than Puglia's more assertive cultivars, and Le Ferre bottles it on its own as a single-varietal expression rather than folding it into a blend.

Grown on the same vase-trained groves around Castellaneta - flat, stone-free terrain between 230 and 290 metres, mild winters and long, dry springs and summers - the Peranzana olives are picked by hand and machine directly from the tree, moved into perforated crates to keep them aerated, and pressed within 24 hours at below 27°C. Le Ferre's tasting notes describe a ripe, fruity nose with fresh, vivid nuances of cut grass and artichoke, and a palate built around sensations of green tomato - harmonious rather than aggressive, which is the character this cultivar is prized for.

That gentler profile makes Mono Peranzana a good entry point into single-varietal oils for anyone used to more neutral, refined oils - it has real character without the sharp bitterness or heavy pepperiness that can put newcomers off extra virgin olive oil altogether.

Best for: Raw drizzling over vegetables, fish, and salads, dressings where you want fruitiness without aggressive bitterness, and as an introduction to single-varietal Puglian oils.