What Are Tuscan Olive Varieties?

At McEvoy Ranch, our harvest generally spans mid-November to mid-December to create an oil with this classic Tuscan flavor profile. The ranch orchards consist of Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo, Pendolino, Maurino, Leccio del Corno and Coratina trees. The Frantoio and Leccino are the two most predominant varieties in Tuscan olive oil.

Frantoio tends to taste fruity, with a more more aggressive aftertaste than Leccino. Frantoio is self pollinating but Leccino is not, requiring the planting of a pollinator such as Pendolino nearby in order for it to bear fruit.Maurino is another varietal with a mild flavor, also requiring pollinator varieties to fruit.

While Frantoio and Leccino are the better known varieties, Moraiolo can be credited with giving Tuscan olive oil is distinctive robustness and bitterness. It, more than the other varieties, is primarily responsible for the peppery aftertaste that accounts for Tuscan style oils, such those made by McEvoy Ranch, to be known as a “two cough” oil. This oil tends to be high in polyphenols, the anti-oxidants that good quality extra virgin olive oil is known for.

Another oil high in polyphenols is Leccio del Corno, a slightly milder cultivar than Moraiolo but with a similarly peppery finish. Finally, the Coratina cultivar is not technically Tuscan, but from Puglia, but its pungent, spicy quality makes it a perfect match to our Tuscan varieties.