“Moderate weather during summer and fall afforded us the opportunity to wait until November to begin harvest when each variety of olive reached ideal ripeness. The resulting olive oil has attractive aromas of fresh-cut grass, green almonds and green banana peel with a lovely citrus note. The palate is round and buttery from the Arbequina with flavors of apples, almonds, artichoke and black pepper that carry through the deliciously smooth finish. In terms of the fruit-to-bitterness ratio, 2016 is the most balanced oil we’ve made.” —Executive Chef Todd Knoll

Once optimal ripeness was achieved, fruit was either handpicked in the Italian brucatura tradition or shaken into special nets. Each variety of olive was kept separate from harvesting through processing to allow all four oils to fully express themselves before any blending decisions occurred. Respecting certified extra virgin olive oil standards, the olives were milled within 24 hours of harvest, and the oil was never filtered or heated during the milling process. A master blending session was conducted during winter before the single-varietal oils were combined, resulting in a silky-smooth combination of 32% Frantoio, 28% Leccino, 20% Arbequina and 20% Pendolino. After resting in our cellars for four months, the 2016 vintage was bottled and hand-labeled by our winemaking staff .