Coleman Collection #39

PRODUCER

Alonso

CULTIVAR

Coratina

Harvest Date

May, 2025

REGION

Litueche, Chile

1950’s – the Alonso family were shoemakers who began searching Chile to produce the best extra virgin olive oil in the world. There were many wineries…why not olives? They settled in the VI region of Chile, built a dam to offset water shortage and over time planted four hundred hectares of Italian Frantoio, Leccino, Coratina and Nocellara, Greek Koroneiki and Spanish Picual, Arbosana, and Arbequina olives – all milled today using an advanced Alfa Laval three-phase extraction process.

The Coratina olive stems from Puglia, Italy but is cultivated throughout the world due to its complexity and high antioxidant levels. Its assertive flavor adds vibrancy to blends, or can be savored as an inimitable monocultivar.

This early harvest filtered monocultivar Coratina oil smells like a lush forest of freshly ripped leaves and herbs. It hits the mouth with a punch of grass, green almond, vibrant bitterness and trails off with a long persistence of black pepper in the throat. The cause of this intense peppery sensation – considered an attribute of high-quality olive oil – is oleocanthal, a natural phenolic compound that has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This style of oil enlivens tomato sauces, grilled meats, beans, vegetables, or soups, but we also recommend you smell and then taste it – on its own, independent of other foods – so that you can analyze and experience its viscosity and flavor profile.

In regards to winemaking, Chile is a fascinating place to grow and cultivate grapes. Most of the premier zones are at high elevations of six hundred feet or higher, and the dry climate and sandy soils keep vine louses and disease at bay. Due to this, Chile is known to have the largest concentration of un-grafted grapevines anywhere in the world. While many different types of grapes are produced into wine, Chile has staked its claim as the premier place for wines from the grape Carménère. Considered a small and insignificant blending grape of Bordeaux, Carménère has spread through many of Chile’s main wine zones over the last fifty years. Similar in appearance and eventual flavor profile to Merlot, Carménère wines are plush, velvety, smooth, and approachable to a fault.