Some olive oils tell much more than a harvest.

They tell the story of a landscape.

A light.

Seasons.

Generations of farmers who have cultivated the same olive trees for centuries.

The Sierra de Gata, in northwestern Extremadura, is one of those rare territories where nature, climate, and expertise seem to have found a balance.

Still little known outside Spain, this mountain valley is nevertheless one of the historic cradles of the Manzanilla Cacereña variety, now recognized by the Gata-Hurdes PDO.

A valley that for a long time remained apart from the world

For a long time, the Sierra de Gata remained an isolated region.

The winding roads that cross its mountains long limited its industrial development.

This isolation, sometimes experienced as a constraint by its inhabitants, has today become a tremendous asset.

It has helped preserve landscapes, agricultural expertise, and a biodiversity that is rarely found in large-scale intensive production regions.

Here, time seems to have followed its own rhythm.

A landscape shaped by the mountains

The Sierra de Gata belongs to the central mountain system of the Iberian Peninsula.

Olive groves alternate with chestnut trees, cork oaks, pines, and Mediterranean scrubland.

The plots follow the contours of the land.

Dry stone walls shape the landscape.

Olive trees grow on schist soils, poor but particularly favorable to the concentration of the olives' aromatic compounds.

This geology directly contributes to the identity of the oils produced in the region.

An ideal climate for olive trees

The Sierra de Gata benefits from a unique climate.

Summer days are warm, while nights remain relatively cool thanks to the altitude.

This temperature range promotes a slow ripening of the olives.

The fruit thus develops more aromatic compounds while retaining its natural freshness.

Rainfall, which is higher than in much of southern Spain, also contributes to this balance.

The land of the Manzanilla Cacereña

Although there are now several hundred olive varieties in the world, few are as closely linked to their territory as the Manzanilla Cacereña.

Cultivated for generations in Extremadura, it finds particularly favorable conditions in the Sierra de Gata.

This variety is distinguished by:

• its aromatic elegance;
• its vegetal freshness;
• its balance between bitterness and pungency;
• its great ability to produce both extra virgin olive oils and table olives.

Discover the characteristics of Manzanilla Cacereña.

An agriculture where nature retains its place

The Sierra de Gata is far from the vast intensive olive groves.

The farms are often family-run.

The trees are sometimes centuries old.

The terrain makes mechanization more complex, but helps preserve the landscape.

In many properties, olive trees coexist with spontaneous flora, pollinating insects, and rich wildlife that contributes to the natural balance of the plots.

This more respectful approach to living things shapes the identity of the oils produced in the region.

The Gata-Hurdes PDO: protecting a heritage

The Gata-Hurdes Protected Designation of Origin officially recognizes this unique link between a territory, a variety, and expertise.

Its specifications guarantee, among other things:

• the geographical origin of the olives;
• the authorized varieties;
• precise quality criteria;
• complete traceability.

The PDO thus protects an agricultural heritage as much as a gustatory identity.

Discover what a PDO olive oil guarantees. 

Villages where olive oil is part of the culture

Beyond the olive tree, the Sierra de Gata is a land of traditions.

Its stone villages, such as Valverde del Fresno, San Martín de Trevejo, Trevejo, Gata, or Robledillo de Gata, have preserved remarkable traditional architecture.

Local festivals, gastronomy, the Fala language still spoken in some municipalities, and farmers' markets bear witness to a strong cultural identity.

Olive oil there is much more than an agricultural product: it is part of everyday life, cooking, and family memory.

For example:

A land of great gastronomic products

The Sierra de Gata is not limited to its olive trees.

This region is part of Extremadura, one of Spain's great gastronomic lands. Alongside extra virgin olive oil, it is renowned for its Iberian acorn-fed hams, artisanal cheeses, La Vera smoked paprika, Jerte Valley cherries, mountain honeys, and even wines from confidential terroirs.

This diversity testifies to an exceptional agricultural heritage, shaped by preserved landscapes and expertise passed down from generation to generation.

Discover the exceptional great gastronomic products of Extremadura. 

A terroir that is found in every bottle

A great olive oil is never the result of chance.

It is the reflection of a set of factors:

• a variety adapted to its environment;
• a favorable climate;
• living soils;
• a careful harvest;
• rapid extraction.

In the Sierra de Gata, this combination gives rise to oils with an elegant personality, capable of expressing both a vibrant and vegetal green fruitiness and a rounder, more indulgent ripe fruitiness.

Discover the different tastes of extra virgin olive oil. 

Casa Montero y Bianchi: a house rooted in the Sierra de Gata

At Casa Montero y Bianchi, our history is intimately linked to this land.

Our olive trees are cultivated in the heart of the Sierra de Gata, respecting the rhythm of the seasons and with the desire to preserve this exceptional heritage.

Each harvest seeks to faithfully express what this territory offers at its best: the freshness, elegance, and character of the Manzanilla Cacereña.

It is this fidelity to the terroir that guides each of our choices, from the olive grove to the bottle.

Discover our Signature Oils

Our extra virgin olive oils are made exclusively from Manzanilla Cacereña, an emblematic variety of the Sierra de Gata.

Two aromatic profiles, one origin:

• Green Fruitiness, fresh, vegetal, and structured.
• Ripe Fruitiness, round, harmonious, and indulgent.

Discover our Signature Oils. 

The Sierra de Gata is one of those places where the landscape shapes the taste.

Its terrain, climate, soils, and history give rise to olive oils unlike any other.

Discovering an oil from this terroir is also discovering a discreet, authentic region deeply attached to its identity.

For behind every great olive oil there is always a place.

And some places deserve to be told.

Sources

• Consejo Regulador de la Gata-Hurdes PDO.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Spain) – Documentation on the Gata-Hurdes PDO.
• Junta de Extremadura – Natural and cultural heritage of the Sierra de Gata.
• International Olive Council (IOC) – Information on olive varieties and olive-growing terroirs.
• Turismo de Extremadura – Historical and geographical data on the Sierra de Gata.