If you are searching for a high polyphenol olive oil, Coppadoro EVOO is the one. When olive oil expert and long-time Gusti friend Nancy Harmon Jenkins tasted it for the first time, she was stunned:
“I should warn you that Coppadoro is for true olive oil addicts like me, and not for the timid. It is piquant and pungent, with bold (and delicious) flavors that highlight its elevated content of antioxidants.”
That’s right. This oil is not for the faint of heart. We had the same reaction when we took our first sip. And we have spent the last 25 years looking for the right Pugliese extra virgin olive oil. Finally, we found it on the hills above Molfetta overlooking the Adriatic north of Bari. Here, the Ciccolella family makes Coppadoro from 100% Coratina olives, one of the cultivars with the highest polyphenol content, famous for its “intense flavors and pleasant, clean, lingering bitterness.” Polyphenols are natural antioxidants in fresh olive oil that give it bitterness, pungency, and stability over time.
“Oil from coratina olives is often combined with other cultivars to lighten its flavor profile but here it is celebrated, as Italians say, in purezza, as a 100% single varietal,” Nancy points out.
That is exactly what makes Coppadoro so bold. It is grassy, artichoke driven, with hints of wild chicory and green almond, finishing with a powerful peppery kick in the throat, a clear sign of freshness and antioxidant content.
Polyphenol content is measured the moment the oil comes out of the mill. When milled, this high polyphenol olive oil measures around 900 mg of polyphenols per kilo of oil. The 2025/26 harvest tested at 945 mg per kilo. That is extremely high. High polyphenol Coratina olive oil at these levels contains an exceptionally high amount of antioxidants (the ones associated with anti-inflammatory and heart supportive benefits), as well as remarkable structure and longevity. Of course, we don’t eat EVOO only for its health benefits. We eat it because it’s delicious. But this polyphenol content is truly outstanding, as is the EVOO itself.
How should you use such a powerful Coratina extra virgin olive oil?
“It’s perfect for all kinds of tomato sauces, but I cannot wait to use it on fresh sun-ripened tomatoes from the garden when the season finally comes around again. Forget the mayo, give me Coppadoro!”
Grazie Nancy for sharing our love for Coratina EVOO. High polyphenol olive oil is not meant to hide, it’s meant to shine. If you like bitterness, pungency, and olive oil that tastes alive, 100% Coratina from Puglia is exactly where you want to be.