Lucero Olio Novello 500 ml

2025 Olio Novello: The Return of Mission Olives

I am a long-time admirer and devoted fan of the California heritage olive variety known as Mission. Not only is it considered uniquely American—a cultivar that originated from the 18th-century Franciscan missions and later defied genetic matching with any European stock—but it is also, simply, delicious.

For a brief window between 2008 and 2011, Lucero Olive Oil offered Mission EVOO, afterward focused exclusively on the Crane Family orchards after our neighbor transitioned his land, making this vintage a true homecoming.

Mission exhibits a wider spectrum of intensity than most olives I’ve worked with over the years; the early harvest oils can be quite intense, while later January oils are exceptionally mellow and buttery.

What makes this Mission Olive Oil Unique

Mission is California's heritage cultivar, unique to California and only rarely found propagated outside the state . It is prized for its wide flavor spectrum, ranging from intense, peppery Olio Novello (early harvest) to mellow, buttery (late harvest) EVOO.

The Influence of the Livermore Valley Microclimate

This year’s Olio Novello features a bespoke milling of an estate Mission we are eager to have you try. As of this mid-November writing, the fruit remains strikingly green with minimal oil content so is still on the trees.

This under-ripe state is a direct consequence of the fruit's home in the Livermore Valley, a cool microclimate heavily influenced by coastal air. This contrasts sharply with the hotter, drier climate of our primary orchards further north in the Sacramento Valley north of Corning, which typically drive much faster oil accumulation.

Slower Ripening, Higher Intensity

The difference is crucial: The Livermore Valley’s cool marine breezes slow the fruit's metabolism, demanding a much longer hang time to ripen. This extended period acts as a natural crucible, slowing the degradation of polyphenols within the fruit. Where a hotter, faster climate tends to push the fruit toward maturity earlier in the season, the slower maturation preserves the intense bioactive compounds.

Tasting Notes: Structured, Vibrant, and Pungent

The result we anticipate is a more concentrated, vibrant, and structured oil. You can expect this unfiltered Olio Novello to possess a brighter, more fragrant aromatic profile than its hot-climate peers, coupled with a signature peppery pungency and clean bitterness that lingers beautifully on the palate. It is the purest, most intense expression of the Mission olive's early harvest character.

• Varieties Selected:  100% California Mission
• Harvest:  Late November 2025 [anticipated]
• Shelf life: TBD
• Aroma:   
• Flavor:  
• Finish:  
• Polyphenols: TBD mg/kg
• Volume:  500 ml / 16.9 fl. oz.
• Shipping weight: 30 oz

Pairing Suggestions

Oils that are this fresh and robust are best enjoyed with the simplest unadorned foods. Plain bread, rice, potatoes, or pasta.

If you're adverse to too many carbohydrates, enjoy this on simply prepared meats or very mild fruits and vegetables (I would not, for instance, recommend using this oil on bitter greens!). I imagine that this would be outstanding on tuna sashimi with a bit of sea salt taking the place of wasabi and shoyu.

These mild or bland foods will do much to highlight positive fruity aromas and flavors and reduce the sensation of bitterness, especially with the introduction of sea salt. Salt has a well documented chemical interaction with food resulting in mitigating bitter compounds. 

Flavor & Enjoyment

Regardless of olive variety or varieties chosen, Olio Novello's characteristics include bright green flavors, high aroma, and a thicker consistency due to the presence of olive flesh which has not been removed. Best consumed fresh, and traditionally enjoyed on toasted bread with sea salt.

To truly enjoy this oil I recommend no vinegar with your bread; let the flavor of the olives come through. If you'd like to be utterly authentic and you have a fire pit, you can replicate what small Italian farmers do at the local community mill: toast some rustic bread over the fire, liberally douse with the new oil and a sprinkle of salt, and raise a nice glass of Italian vino da tavola to another harvest year and to good health.  

About Olio Novello

Each fall the first oils of the year are eagerly sampled to select one or more superior examples to represent Olio Novello, our New Oil. Much like the tradition of enjoying Beaujolais Nouveau young wine in November, Olio Novello celebrates the new harvest with extra virgin olive oil which has not been filtered nor has it been racked of sediment.

Some companies refer to new oil as Olio Nuovo, however, since my olive oil roots are Florentine, I refer to this oil as it was introduced to me:  "Olio Novello". In any event, it is not Olio Nuevo. "Olio" is Italian for oil, "nuevo" is Spanish for new; the Spanish use the Arab derivation for oil "al zeit", literally "the oil". In Spain new oil is Aceite Nuevo.

Regarding the photos

The photos of olives and fresh oils in the mills shown are from the Williams 160 orchard and Lucero Olive Mill a few years ago and are for inspirational purposes for representation. Despite what our instincts tell us, there is not a direct correlation between olive oil color and flavor. I've illustrated two oils, thick and fresh from the mill from harvests past, and although wildly different in color, both were very bright, highly aromatic and pungent oils.  

The photos of bread feature a freshly baked country loaf from a friend. Read about the Quest for Bread in our collection of stories and serving ideas in our "News & Information" area.

[Last Year!] 2024 Harvest and Tasting Notes

• Varieties Selected:  Sevillano / Ascolano Blend
• Harvest:  Early November 2024
• Shelf life: Per 3/21/25 Induction testing the "best by" date of this oil, unopened, is 12/1/26
• Aroma:   Fresh and green
• Flavor:  Low bitterness, with pungent finish
• Finish:  Long lasting and harmonious
• Polyphenols: mg/kg
• Volume:  500 ml / 16.9 fl. oz.
• Shipping weight: 30 oz