A curiosity that turns out to be a very good oil. Anyone who knows Tuscan Frantoio will recognise the pine and the balsamic finish, but the Jaén sun has taken the edge off the bitterness and added ripe fruit. Try it on pasta or a simple pizza, where a Picual would shout.
Oro Bailén Frantoio
Frantoio is the great olive of Tuscany, and it is unusual to find it planted in Jaén. Oro Bailén grows a small block and treats it like its other monovarietals — early pick, fast cold extraction. The result is sweeter and more aromatic than a Tuscan Frantoio, with green apple, kiwi and pine on the nose and a balsamic, moderately bitter finish.
Tasting notes
Green apple, kiwi and tropical fruit first, then almond and a resinous pine note. Sweet-toned opening, balanced bitterness, a pungency that is clearly there without dominating, and a balsamic, herbal finish. Recognisably Frantoio, but riper and rounder than the Tuscan originals.
The facts
| Cultivar | 100% Frantoio |
|---|---|
| Harvest | October 2025, early |
| Polyphenols | 441 mg/kg (producer lab report, 2025/26) |
| Free acidity | 0.12% |
| Extraction | Cold, within hours of picking |
| Estate | Los Juncales & La Casa del Agua, Villanueva de la Reina |
Awards
Where it's from
Frantoio is native to Tuscany and rarely planted in Andalusia; the warmer, drier Jaén climate ripens it earlier and gives a rounder, less bitter oil than its Italian cousins.
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