Italy's Best Blend 2026/27. Hand-composed. Limited quantity.
Gambero Rosso, Italy's most renowned culinary rating institution, awarded Ursini's Opera Mastra the special prize "Italy's Best Blend" for its 2026/27 guide – in a competition that evaluated 735 olive oils from 365 olive oil producers. Only 15 special prizes are awarded. The Opera Mastra won the most significant of them.
Behind it is Giuseppe Ursini from Fossacesia on the Costa dei Trabocchi in Abruzzo, a member of the exclusive association of Mastri Oleari since 1991 – one of Italy's oldest olive oil expert guilds, dating back to the 14th century. His credo: Only fruits from very well-maintained olive groves can produce truly good olive oils. The Opera Mastra is his top cuvée, personally re-composed by him after each harvest – from the best fruits of the season, in strictly limited quantities.
The blend of four varieties is harvested between the last week of October and mid-November and pressed at the family mill on the day of harvest. The Intosso olive is an autochthonous variety of Abruzzo, which gives the oil its characteristic elegant bitterness and is rarely found outside the region.
Product details:
- Product name: Extra virgin olive oil
- Producer: Ursini
- Origin: Italy, Abruzzo (Fossacesia, Costa dei Trabocchi)
- Olive varieties: Peranzana, Gentile di Chieti, Intosso (autochthonous Abruzzo), Coratina
- Harvest: End of October to mid-November
- Pressing: On the day of harvest, in a family mill
- Content: 500 ml V
- GMO-free: Yes
- Storage temperature: 15 to 20 degrees Celsius
Award:
Gambero Rosso Oli d'Italia 2026/27: Special Prize "Italy's Best Blend" (Fossacesia, Abruzzo)
Sensory profile:
Nose: Fresh forest floor, green almond, artichoke, herbs like mint
Palate: Slightly peppery, notes of bay leaf, herbs, and green walnut
Finish: Elegant bitterness, delicate and long-lasting
Character: Balanced, fruity, harmonious
Nutritional values per 100 g/ml:
Energy 3446 kJ / 823 kcal
Fat 91.5 g
of which saturated fatty acids 17.6 g
Carbohydrates 0 g
of which sugar 0 g
Fiber 0 g
Protein 0 g
Salt 0 g
Ideal as a seasoning oil for:
Spicy raw or grilled dark meat, grilled fish, aged cheese, grilled vegetables, arugula salad, simple pasta, and warm bruschetta. Its balance makes it suitable for all dishes that require a high-quality finishing oil.
Suitable for:
Olive oil connoisseurs and collectors, everyone who wants to have the best olive oil in Italy in their kitchen, upscale gastronomy and top restaurants, an exceptional gift idea, Christmas and special occasions, a gourmet kitchen souvenir, everyone who prefers coupage oils over monocultivar, gourmets who want to discover autochthonous olive varieties.
