Nuovo impianto oleario sperimentale MORI-TEM

An experimental MORI-TEM olive-oil system was installed in January 2019 for testing during the following processing season. Its innovations comprised in-line conditioning of olive temperature, a differential grazing-cut crusher, a linear processing system with vertical tanks under controlled atmosphere, a unidirectional decanter, a settling tank with a rotary skimmer, and a new final-cleaning filter. Automatic washing was designed to clean the complete plant efficiently in 30 minutes while reducing water consumption.

Olive pruning was scheduled to begin by 20 March. The estate had deliberately waited until March because cold weather in 2018 had sharply reduced production. During pruning, an individual code was to be assigned to every olive tree, enabling the family to trace both each tree’s productivity and the quality of its fruit.

The family was also conducting its annual tasting of the estate’s extra-virgin olive oils to assess quality and how long each product would retain its integrity. The oils were described as Tuscan, organically produced in the Chianti Fiorentino area at 350 m. The cited blend included Moraiolo, Leccino, Maurino, and other varieties.

Olives from the 2018/19 harvest had been processed at the Torre Bianca and Ranocchiaia mills in San Casciano Val di Pesa. The estate produced 800 half-litre bottles of the delicate Triangolo Giallo and 500 half-litre bottles of the robust Triangolo Verde. The vintage did not allow production of the “4m” Giorgio Mori Selection. Triangolo Giallo was characterized by grass, almond, and artichoke aromas, mild bitterness, and some pungency; Triangolo Verde showed almond, artichoke, and medicinal herbs with medium-high bitterness and pungency.

Giorgio’s father Franco, born in 1927 and described as the family’s farmer, took part in the tasting. He considered the oils good but not exceptional and viewed the new experimental mill as an opportunity to improve the products. Giorgio Mori concluded by presenting the article as the beginning of an effort to share the family’s work in the fields, cellar, and mill with its customers.