A single cultivar. A single estate. The character of Sicily in every drop.
Made exclusively from Nocellara del Belice olives grown in our estate in western Sicily, Il Sicano is an organic extra virgin olive oil with intense fruitiness, freshness and balance.
The name
The Sicani are traditionally regarded among the earliest inhabitants of the island. “Il Sicano” is a tribute to that ancient agricultural identity and to a land where olive trees have shaped the landscape for centuries.
A contemporary oil rooted in an ancient Mediterranean culture.
The oil
One of Sicily’s most distinctive olive cultivars, transformed into a vivid, aromatic extra virgin olive oil.
The olives used for Il Sicano come from the Rocche della Sala olive groves in the territory of Partanna, in the heart of the Belice Valley. Harvesting is carried out manually and with the aid of combs, with particular attention to the integrity of the fruit.
The olives are milled within 24 hours of harvesting and cold-extracted in a modern continuous two-phase plant. The oil is then filtered immediately and stored in temperature-controlled tanks under inert gas, protecting it from oxygen and helping preserve its sensory qualities over time.
From olive to oil
Quality is not determined by one single operation. It is the result of a sequence of choices, from harvesting to storage.
The olives are picked manually and with the aid of combs, limiting damage to the fruit and allowing careful selection in the grove.
After harvesting, the olives are brought to the mill and processed within 24 hours to preserve freshness and aromatic integrity.
Extraction takes place at low temperature in a modern continuous two-phase system, designed to obtain the oil with minimal use of process water.
The freshly extracted oil is filtered and stored in temperature-controlled tanks under inert gas to limit oxidation and maintain stability over time.
Filtration
Freshly extracted olive oil naturally contains tiny particles of pulp and small droplets of vegetation water. If these remain suspended, over time they can encourage fermentation and oxidation, gradually altering aroma, flavor and stability.
Filtration removes these residual impurities. It does not make the oil less natural: it is a careful step chosen to obtain a clearer, more stable oil that can preserve its quality for longer.
Technical profile
Tasting profile
Fresh-cut grass, artichoke and tomato leaf with a clean, intense fruitiness.
Harmonious structure with a pleasant bitterness and a lively peppery finish.
Persistent yet elegant, with freshness, structure and a delicate almond note in the finish.
Organic farming
Rocche della Sala has chosen organic farming as both a production method and a way of managing the relationship with the land. The estate uses crop rotations, fertilizers of natural origin, biological control techniques and soil management aimed at preserving fertility and the balance of the agricultural ecosystem.
For us, organic farming means understanding the soil, respecting natural cycles and safeguarding resources for the future. Il Sicano begins with this approach, long before the olives reach the mill.
From our estate
Rocche della Sala is located in western Sicily, between Partanna and Salaparuta, within the Belice Valley. More than 140 hectares are dedicated to olive groves, vineyards and crops typical of the territory, in a landscape shaped by bright days, constant ventilation and cooler nights.
The Nocellara del Belice olive groves used for Il Sicano are located in the territory of Partanna. Here, the cultivar finds the conditions to express the intense, harmonious and distinctly green profile that defines this extra virgin olive oil.
Nocellara del Belice
Nocellara del Belice is one of the varieties most closely associated with western Sicily and the Belice Valley. Its generous fruit and strong aromatic personality give the oil a recognizable character, with green notes, fragrance, structure and a lively peppery finish.
The territory
Partanna and the Belice Valley lie a short distance from Selinunte, one of the most important Greek cities of the ancient Mediterranean.
This is a landscape where agriculture and history have coexisted for centuries. Olive trees and vineyards follow the contours of the hills, while bright Mediterranean light, ventilation and day-to-night temperature changes accompany the ripening season. Il Sicano was created to tell this place through one ingredient: Nocellara del Belice olives.