The altitude of between 350 and 600 metres, the distance from the sea and the chemical-physical characteristics of the soil ensure a pedoclimatic environment which is particularly favourable for cultivating olives: each tree yields few but healthy olives, with fragrant flesh and rich in aromas.

OLIVE VARIETIES GROWN ON THE CETONA HILLS

The accumulation of oil in the fruit and its typical features are due to a complex metabolism which contributes, along with the environment and agronomic techniques, to the particular characteristics of the cultivars. Frantoio: vigorous tree, luxuriant vegetation and high productivity, self-fertile. The fruits are elongated and purplish-pink in colour, tending towards red. Good oil yield, which is fruity, slightly spicy and intense in colour, rich in polyphenols. Correggiolo: Similar to the Frantoio variety. Leccino: highly vigorous tree with expansive growth and moderate productivity. Self-sterile, it is pollinated by Pendolino and Frantoio. The fruits are ovoid in shape, black in colour and have a medium oil yield, which is slightly fruity and tends towards sweet, rich in tocopherols. Moraiolo: less vigorous tree, with fruit that are small, spherical, black when ripe. Self-sterile, it is pollinated by Pendolino and Frantoio. Medium production, with medium-high oil yield, it has a slight herbaceous flavour and strong bitter notes, rich in squalene. Pendolino: highly vigorous tree, pendulous growth, with medium-small purplish fruit. It has good productivity and medium oil yield. Self-sterile, it is a good pollinator.

HARVESTING

This takes place between October and November and is done by hand and with the aid of mechanical nets and facilitators, directly from the tree with the “brucatura” (hand picking) technique; the olives, placed in small fenestrated boxes to prevent overheating and consequent triggering of negative phenomena such as fermentation and oxidation, are transported from the olive groves to the oil mill within 24 to 48 hours of harvesting. The farmers personally take care of their olive trees and follow the harvest from the plant to the processing site.

The olives are processed within 12 hours of arrival, following strict Terre di Siena DOP production regulations.