Lucero 2026 Olio Novello Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 500 ml

The 2026 Lucero Olio Novello brings together 70% Picudo and 30% Coratina—two California-grown olive varieties selected for a fragrant, expressive new oil with floral aroma, satisfying structure, and a persistent peppery finish. Bottled unfiltered, this is the new harvest at its most immediate.

This special oil is at the bottling plant and will ship early November.

The 2026 Blend: Picudo & Coratina

Each autumn I taste the oils available to me and select an oil—or combination of oils—that says something interesting about that particular harvest.

This year Picudo was the immediate standout. It is a Spanish olive variety I rarely encounter outside of Spain, and its distinctive floral aroma caught my attention at once. The oil was fragrant and appealing, with relatively gentle bitterness on my palate.

Coratina provided the counterpoint. More assertive in structure, bitterness, and pungency, it gave the Picudo greater dimension without overwhelming the character that made me choose it in the first place.

The finished blend is 70% Picudo and 30% Coratina.

An October Harvest

Both varieties came from medium-density plantings about 80 miles southwest of Corning. The Picudo was harvested between October 13th and 15th, and the Coratina a few days later starting October 14th.

That timing puts this year's Olio Novello into the bottle considerably earlier than our 2025 harvest and returns us to one of the pleasures of new oil: enjoying it while the memory of harvest is still very near.

Sensory Profile

Floral aroma is the first thing I notice in this oil, followed by fresh fruit character and a firmer presence on the palate. The Coratina contributes measured bitterness and pungency, giving shape to the aromatic Picudo.

The finish is persistent and peppery without obscuring the fruit. This is an expressive Olio Novello, but not one in which intensity is the entire point. What interested me was the way the two varieties came together.

Fresh Oil, Bottled Unfiltered

Olio Novello—also commonly called Olio Nuovo—is the presentation of new olive oil from the current harvest. Our Lucero Olio Novello is bottled without filtration so that it retains some of the immediacy of very recently milled oil.

That means the oil may initially appear somewhat cloudy, and a small amount of sediment can develop naturally with time. Neither, by itself, is a defect. It is simply one reason Olio Novello is an oil to enjoy rather than put away for some distant occasion.

If you would like to explore the tradition, terminology, sensory qualities, and history of Lucero Olio Novello in greater depth, visit Olio Novello: New Harvest Olive Oil.

How to Best Enjoy Olio Novello

It is especially satisfying with toasted country bread, potatoes, beans, rice, pasta, soft-cooked eggs, mild vegetables, fresh cheeses, or other comparatively simple foods that leave room for the oil itself.

Once opened, enjoy it often. For the freshest sensory experience, I recommend using Lucero Olio Novello within approximately four weeks after opening.