ATHENA INTERNATIONAL OLIVE OIL COMPETITION 2017 - DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL & BEST SINGLE VARIETAL FOR IL CAVALLINO SPECIAL EDITION LECCIO DEL CORNO

article published on 26/04/2017

In ancient Attica, the most beautiful and oldest olive trees were considered sacred plants and, by ancient law, it was forbidden to damage or uproot them, under incrimination of profanation. According to Greek mythology, the olive tree was the gift offered by Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, in the contest for supremacy over Poseidon.
Athens is thus one of the most deep-rooted places in the world in terms of the culture of the olive tree and of extra virgin olive oil.
Winning here the highest award with our Special Edition Leccio del Corno 2016, the double gold medal and jury's special award as ‘Best Single Varietal’, is a result that fills us with great pride and is the most prestigious crowning of a year full of determination and effort.
This is the fruit of the hard work and experience of three generations of olive growers, requiring continuous total supervision of the groves until the harvest, when olives are picked every morning and immediately pressed in the afternoon with a rapid extraction process focused on quality over quantity and subsequent preservation in a suitable environment.
At Il Cavallino, in Bibbona, Italy, nothing is left to chance. For this reason, in such an important competition as the Athena IOOC, the result is particularly rewarding. In this edition of the competition, 295 extra virgin oils from 9 different nations were assessed by a panel of 23 international experts from 11 different countries. As many as 92 oils were from different cultivars presented in the competition.
Only 17 of these oils can boast the highest level of recognition and only three Italian companies came in at the top of the classification. Naturally, among them was Il Cavallino di Bibbona with our special edition Leccio del Corno, classed as ‘Best Single Varietal Athena 2017’.
The prize-giving ceremony will be held in Athens at 6 pm on Saturday 22nd April at the Hotel King George II in Syntagma Square, after a special tasting of all the finalists’ oils.