This year yields are up and there is plenty of oil for sale. The weather throughout the year was reasonably favourable and there was no problem with the olive fly. Some producers say that the high yields have meant that there is a diminution in the intensity of their oils but by and large this has led to well flavoured easy-using oils which should appeal to most palates. Some the local varieties here can produce very robust and peppery oils which may be a bit of an acquired taste.

The harvest is usually fairly early in Abruzzo and this year it started with the Leccino olives in early October. When I was there at the beginning of November the Leccino had ripened to a full black colour and picking was almost over. Gentile di Chieti olives were being harvested and they too would be finished soon. Ascolana is a later ripening variety and was to be the next to be harvested. Incidently, this olive produces a very attractive oil with full fruity fruit flavours, tomatoes and culinary herbs in its taste profile. Unfortunately, the mills are getting less and less Ascolona olives to press for oil as people use them more for table olives.

With the exception of Leccino and the odd Frantoio the olive trees of Abruzzo are varieties which have been naturally selected as best suited to the conditions in the different parts of the region. In the south Gentile di Chieti is the predominant variety.
The example I tasted from the new season’s crop was full of fresh herbs, particularly rosemary with a hint of ginger. Really very distinctive. The same producer presses a very small quantity of Caprinello, now from one grower only. It is a local variety which is dying out.

In the central part of the region is the area known as Golden Triangle. It takes in Moscufo, Pianella and Loreto Abruntino. These towns are situated inland from the sea to the west and south west of Pescara. They are dotted between the relatively gentle foothills of the Maiella and Marone mountains with Grand Sasso in the background.

Dritta is the typical variety here. This quite a robust variety which, at its best offers good hedgerow herbaceousness with bitter almond skins and good pepper. In lesser years it can be very dark and bitter. This variety is usually very high in phenols and the oil keeps its flavour well. Another local variety is Intosso. This also gives a robust and nutty oil.

Further inland from Pescara is the Casauria region which is home to Toccolana olives. This is much wilder countryside with barren hill tops and snow in November when I was there. The Toccolana olive takes its name from the region – Tocco da Casauria. It is resistant to cold winds and high altitude also gives a good yield – 20-22% compared with a typical 14-15% for Dritta. Oils from Toccolana olives tends to be very nutty in character but in better years there is more greenery in mix. Some of the Toccolano trees are really old and gnarled like those in southern Italy and parts of Greece. Some are said to be 500 years old. These have a base diameter of three feet or more with one, two or three gnarled trunks growing out of it.

In the north of Abruzza Leccino and Frantoio are the main varieties with some local Dritta, Carboncella and Castiglionese olives. Leccino is a variety which produces a wide range of olives oils. They are usually pleasant but not particularly outstanding. Flavour profiles include almonds, macademia nuts, milky caramel tones and sometimes some herbs. There is usually some medium bitterness and pepper. However, at its best it can be stunning. I tasted two monovarietal Leccino oils from the 2008 harvest, one from the south of Abruzzo and one from the north. They were both full of flavour.

The former offered fresh vegetables, artichokes, asparagus and sweet green peppers on the aromas followed by more sweet green peppers prominating on the palate with herbs and fresh cobnuts together with a well balanced light bitterness and pepper. The latter was darker with woody hedgerow aromas, fresh greenery and nuts moving to culinary herbs with more light nuts and then basil. Some balanced bitterness and pepper and then quite a sweet finish with macademia nuts.

There are many small farmers throughout Abruzzo, many of them producing wine and olives as well as some cereal or vegetable crops. Co-operatives and private mills both process the olives, the latter sometimes buying in olives in addition to their own to produce bottled and labelled brands. Some money has been spent on new equipment through there are still a few traditional mills dotted around. There has been a general move towards gramolators with multiple compartments and two phase decanters with no added water and separate water cooling systems. Those with these modern systems have had the advantage this year, particularly in the south where there was a good deal of rain in the run up to the harvest.