The blend

# Five varieties.
One oil.

Taroncino is pressed from five olive varieties — three native to Istria, two with roots in Tuscany that arrived here generations ago and became thoroughly at home. Each brings something different to the oil. None of them, on their own, would make quite the same thing.

Native Istrian · Istarska Bjelica

## Bianchera

Intensely fruity Green herbs Artichoke Pronounced pepper High polyphenols

The backbone of Istrian olive oil. Bianchera — also known as Istarska Bjelica — is an ancient native variety whose large, green fruit yields an oil of considerable character: deep, herbal, with aromas of freshly cut grass, artichoke and green olive. Its bitterness is bold and its peppery finish is long. It also contributes significantly to the oil's polyphenol content, which in part explains our high reading of 626 mg/kg. Bianchera is cold-resistant and well-suited to Istria's coastal climate, which is why it has grown here for centuries.

Its role in Taroncino Intensity, structure, polyphenols, and the characteristic Istrian pepper.
Native Istrian · Buža

## Busa

Smooth Green apple Almonds Fresh grass Well-rounded

Where Bianchera pushes, Busa balances. This traditional Istrian variety produces a golden-green oil with a noticeably smoother, more rounded character — delicate fruity aromas of green apple and fresh almond, with a gentler bitterness. It is prized precisely for its ability to soften a blend without flattening it, adding a kind of quiet harmony that holds the other varieties together. Busa is self-sterile, meaning it depends on neighbouring trees — often Frantoio or Leccino — to pollinate. The field has both.

Its role in Taroncino Smoothness, balance, and the fresh almond note in the finish.
Native Istrian · Karbonaca

## Carbonazza

Native Istrian Rare Piquant

Carbonazza — or Karbonaca in Croatian — is among the lesser-documented of the Istrian native varieties, and one of the rarer inclusions even in local blends. It is a variety in recovery: for decades, as the Italian population left Istria after the war and agriculture contracted, many of these old trees were abandoned or grubbed out. The revival of traditional Istrian olive farming has brought Carbonazza back, and producers working with the ancient native varieties — as we do — are among those keeping it in cultivation. Its contribution to a blend is piquancy and distinctly local character.

Its role in Taroncino A thread of genuine Istrian identity that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Tuscan origin · Naturalised in Istria

## Leccino

Mild fruity Delicate bitterness Grassy Versatile High yield

Originally from Tuscany, Leccino arrived in Istria with the Italian community and has been growing here long enough to feel entirely at home. It produces an oil that is mild, fruity and grassy — less aggressive than the native varieties, with a gentler bitterness that makes it the most approachable component of the blend. Leccino is also one of the more generous-yielding varieties, and it ripens in mid-October, which aligns well with the harvest timing of the rest of the field. It is not self-pollinating — it needs a partner, which is partly why it grows well alongside Frantoio.

Its role in Taroncino Approachability, mild fruitiness, and structural generosity.
Tuscan origin · Naturalised in Istria

## Frantoio

Fruity Grassy Green almonds Bold finish Pollinator

Frantoio is the other Tuscan in the field, and in many respects the assertive one. Its oil is fruity and bold, with aromas of fresh grass and green almonds and an aftertaste that lingers with more intensity than Leccino. In Tuscany, Frantoio is often the dominant variety in a blend; here it plays a supporting role, adding depth and a longer finish without overwhelming the Istrian character of the oil. Frantoio is also a natural pollinator — including for Leccino and Busa — making it practically important to the field, not just flavourfully.

Its role in Taroncino Depth, bold finish, and pollination of the varieties that depend on it.
What the blend produces

The combination of three native Istrian varieties and two naturalised Tuscan ones is not accidental — it reflects both the history of this particular piece of land and a practical understanding of how these trees work together. The Istrian varieties give the oil its identity: intensity, genuine pepper, local terroir. The Tuscan varieties bring balance, fruitiness and yield. The result is an oil that is distinctly Istrian in character but complex enough to reward attention.

Fruitiness
Medium-high
Bitterness
Present, balanced
Pepper / Piquancy
Pronounced finish
Primary aromas
Grass, artichoke, green almond
Character
Distinctly Istrian
Complexity
High
A note on provenance

Three of these five varieties — Bianchera, Busa and Carbonazza — are indigenous to Istria. They exist almost nowhere else in the world in any commercial quantity. When you taste the pepper and the herbal depth in Taroncino, you are tasting something that is genuinely of this place. It cannot be approximated with varieties from Spain, Greece or even mainland Italy. That is what single-estate, single-region production actually means.