Manolis, wearing his leather work gloves, a monk (in Greek: “monachos”), looked up and seeing the sun bathing his olive grove in Kolymvari, thought of his grandfather who first took him there and the fruits of his land that were about to give him this exquisite olive oil.

By Dimitris Gouravas, Oenologist

In the land of Crete, the Greeks were the first to cultivate the olive tree around 2500 BC, and olive groves are part of the island’s history.

At MONACHOS, the 300-year-old olive trees are cultivated in the traditional way, on dry stone walls that reflect the sun, allowing the olives to ripen perfectly.

The extra virgin olive oil is produced in the authentic terroir of MONACHOS (dry stone terraces typical of the region). We harvest the exceptional Koroneiki variety in three distinct areas: Anoskeli, the highest area at 260 meters above sea level, and the Kamisiana and Spilia areas at an altitude of 100-150 meters.

Traditional cultivation and soil cultivation allow the terroir to remain elastic, aerated and porous. The roots can easily sink and benefit from the diversity of the terroir, giving the oil a unique complexity and balance.

Produced after a qualitative selection of the fruits, MONACHOS extra virgin olive oil is exclusively from the first cold pressing and is bottled unfiltered.

MONACHOS extra virgin olive oil has a moderately fruity flavor, is spicy and slightly bitter.

We distinguish aromatically artichoke, green tomato, almonds, grass, and a buttery aftertaste.

The overall balance is excellent.