Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino: the difference between Tuscany's olive varieties

Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino are the three olive varieties grown most widely in Tuscany. They differ in cold resistance, oil yield and flavour: Moraiolo is the most bitter and pungent, Leccino the mildest, Frantoio in between.

Three varieties, three different characters

Most olive groves in Tuscany are planted with one of these three varieties, or with a mix of all three: Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino. Each has a different tree, a different ripening time, and gives oil with a different flavour.

They are not rival varieties. In Tuscan farming practice they are often planted together in the same grove, because they complement each other.

Frantoio: the most widely grown tree

Frantoio is the most common olive variety in Tuscany, including in our own grove at Montemurlo, between Prato and Pistoia, half an hour from Florence. It yields consistently and ripens gradually, which allows for a longer harvest window.

Frantoio oil has a decisive green fruitiness, with bitterness and pungency present but balanced. In Montemurlo, a local selection of this variety has developed over the centuries, known as Frantoiano di Montemurlo, adapted to the area's stony soil.

Moraiolo: hardiness and character

Moraiolo is the most cold- and drought-resistant of the three, which is why it thrives on exposed hillsides, such as those at the foot of Monteferrato. The fruit is small, and the oil yield relative to olive weight is high.

It produces the most bitter and pungent oil of the three varieties, with an intense fruitiness. On its own, it can be too strong for those unused to it, which is why it is almost always milled together with other varieties.

Leccino: the softening element

Leccino ripens earlier than the other two varieties and produces a sweeter oil, with mild bitterness and pungency. It is less cold-hardy than Moraiolo, but it is a sturdy tree with steady yields.

In a field blend, meaning olives from several varieties picked and milled together, Leccino softens the strong character of Moraiolo and Frantoio.

Why they are often harvested together

Many Tuscan groves, including ours at Montemurlo, are not planted with a single variety but with all three: Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino. They are picked in the same period and milled together, on the same day as the harvest.

The result is called a field blend: an oil that does not depend on a single variety, but on the balance between the three, the soil, and the timing of the harvest.

Frequently asked questions

which olive variety makes the best oil

There is no single best variety: it depends on the flavour you are after. Moraiolo gives more character, Leccino more softness, Frantoio a balance between the two. The final result also depends on soil, climate and harvest timing.

which variety has the most polyphenols

Moraiolo generally has the most intense fruitiness and the strongest bitter and pungent profile, a sign of a high polyphenol content. The exact figure, however, changes from year to year and from grove to grove, not just by variety.

can Frantoio, Moraiolo and Leccino be blended

Yes, this is common practice in Tuscany, known as a field blend when olives from several varieties are picked and milled together. It is how we work at our grove in Montemurlo too.

which olive variety is most cold-hardy

Moraiolo is the most cold-resistant of the three, followed by Frantoio. Leccino is the most sensitive to low temperatures, though it remains a sturdy and reliable producer.

what is Frantoiano di Montemurlo

Frantoiano di Montemurlo is a local selection of the Frantoio variety, developed over centuries in the Montemurlo area, between Prato and Pistoia. It is adapted to the stony, lean soil typical of those hillsides.

Our oil, from tree to bottle

Two 100% Italian extra virgin olive oils from Tuscany, from a single hand-picked harvest, milled the same day three minutes from the grove. Luce is green, bitter and peppery; Raccolto is round, for every day. We ship across Italy, Europe and worldwide.