The numbers behind every harvest of our extra virgin olive oil
Measured, not claimed.
Taste comes first. The laboratory confirms it, harvest after harvest, and every number is published.
Every harvest is tasted blind by certified panels and tested by certified laboratories. Here are eleven harvests of results.
The 2026 harvest is underway. Guard or gift a tree by December 31 for this year’s oil.
Taste first
Pleasure first. Numbers second.
A number can’t tell you what an oil tastes like, or how it brings the simplest dish to life. We chase that first. We’re professional and panel tasters ourselves, and even so, every harvest goes blind to independent certified panels, because the verdict shouldn’t be ours to give. Medium high to intense, and always in balance: fruitiness, bitterness and pungency, none overpowering the others. The measurements that follow confirm what the glass already told us.
The record
Eleven harvests, on the record.
Our average since 2015, next to the latest harvest from each of our five producing groves.
| Measure | International standard | Our average, 2015 to 2025 | 2025, five groves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peroxides | up to 20 meq O₂/kg | 5.9 meq O₂/kg | 6.4 to 7.4 |
| Polyphenols | none set (EU health claim level about 250 mg/kg) | 506 mg/kg | 471 to 640 |
| Monounsaturated fats | at least 55% oleic acid | 74.5% | above 75% |
| Acidity | up to 0.8% | 0.19% | 0.22 to 0.24%* |
| UV readings (K232 / K270 / ΔK) | 2.50 / 0.22 / 0.01 | 1.78 / 0.15 / 0.00 | 1.78 / 0.15 / 0.00 |
| Pesticide residues | legal residue limits | none detected | none detected |
Peroxides
- International standard
- up to 20 meq O₂/kg
- Our average, 2015 to 2025
- 5.9 meq O₂/kg
- 2025, five groves
- 6.4 to 7.4
Polyphenols
- International standard
- none set (EU health claim level about 250 mg/kg)
- Our average, 2015 to 2025
- 506 mg/kg
- 2025, five groves
- 471 to 640
Monounsaturated fats
- International standard
- at least 55% oleic acid
- Our average, 2015 to 2025
- 74.5%
- 2025, five groves
- above 75%
Acidity
- International standard
- up to 0.8%
- Our average, 2015 to 2025
- 0.19%
- 2025, five groves
- 0.22 to 0.24%*
UV readings (K232 / K270 / ΔK)
- International standard
- 2.50 / 0.22 / 0.01
- Our average, 2015 to 2025
- 1.78 / 0.15 / 0.00
- 2025, five groves
- 1.78 / 0.15 / 0.00
Pesticide residues
- International standard
- legal residue limits
- Our average, 2015 to 2025
- none detected
- 2025, five groves
- none detected
Monounsaturated fats measured since 2022. * Why acidity rose in 2025: see “Why low acidity proves less than you think” below.
Reading the record
What each number tells you.
Great extra virgin olive oil isn’t about a single number. It’s the balance of them all, led by the ones that count most.
The freshness number almost nobody talks about.
Peroxides measure the earliest stage of oxidation: how far the oil has begun to age. The lower the number, the earlier the oil is in its life. Ours average under a third of what the international standard allows.
The other number almost nobody talks about.
Monounsaturated fats are the good fats olive oil is prized for, yet few producers publish how much their oil holds. The international standard asks for at least 55% oleic acid, the main one. Ours sit over 70%, far above that floor.
Why we don’t chase the highest polyphenol levels.
Polyphenols give olive oil its bitterness and peppery finish. They’re natural antioxidants that help it stay fresh, and they’re behind much of extra virgin olive oil’s reputation for health. Too little, and you lose those qualities. Too much, and the oil can become difficult to enjoy. Extra virgin olive oil isn’t a supplement. To us, it’s food first, so we aim for a balance of pleasure and health. Our oils average about twice the polyphenol level required for the EU health claim, measured using the International Olive Council’s method.
Why low acidity proves less than you think.
It’s one sign of healthy fruit, but it’s a number that’s easy to lower by blending, and it says nothing about the oil’s sensory quality. Every drop of ours comes from the groves in our care; we never bring in oil from anywhere else. In 2025, an intense olive fly attack across the region raised ours to 0.22 to 0.24%, still under a third of the international limit, and across eleven harvests our average holds at 0.19%.
What a refined oil can’t hide.
UV readings detect oxidation and refining that other tests miss. Clean readings mean the oil is exactly what the label says.
Hundreds of residues, none found.
Every harvest is screened for hundreds of pesticides and contaminants, and none has ever been detected. We treat only when an individual tree needs it, never a whole grove by default.
Every harvest, the same way.
- Certified laboratories test every harvest for chemistry and residues.
- Certified panels taste every harvest blind.
- Polyphenols are measured by the International Olive Council’s method.
Taste the record.
Guardians receive two 500 ml bottles every harvest, drawn from the grove where their tree stands. Every member, Root and Guardian alike, receives Founder’s Reserve and Community Reserve first, at member prices with shipping included.
The 2026 harvest is underway. Guard or gift a tree by December 31 and your oil comes from it.
For the United States, tariffs are included.