A world-unique extra virgin olive oil from the Costa dei Trabocchi in Abruzzo

A one-of-a-kind extra virgin olive oil in the world (for now). It is produced from the ancient Abruzzese cultivar "cucco" by Giuseppe Ursini, known as Peppe among friends, who leads one of the benchmark companies in the quality olive oil sector in Abruzzo. It was presented at the 17th edition of Taste, held from February 3 to 5 in Florence, just concluded.

Cucco Olive Oil

Solo: like the Ursini monovarietal oil line. Cucco: the olive used, a cultivar typical of the Costa dei Trabocchi, that strip of land in southern Abruzzo, bordering Molise, with a never too harsh, Mediterranean climate, and hills sheltering from the northern wind, allowing the cultivation of citrus fruits. A unique oil: no one else produces it except Giuseppe Ursini, who managed to obtain 600 liters in the 2023 campaign, equivalent to 1,200 half-liter bottles.

Unique and surprising: an excellent extra virgin olive oil, delicate, gentle, and of great elegance but not bland or tasteless, quite the opposite. It captivates with its freshness, greenish aromatic profile, gentle sweetness, and perfectly balanced bitterness and spiciness. "Completely different from powerful and muscular oils, going against the new taste expectations," emphasizes the Abruzzese producer. An expressive yet light oil, with a hint of slightly toasted shell nuts that gives it liveliness and character. Thanks to the unique characteristics of these olives and the experience, rigor, and technology of the transformation process. "We processed it in a two-phase continuous mill, without adding water, just made: brand new!" smiles Giuseppe.

Why it's unprecedented

Cucco is a cultivar with a dual purpose due to its roundish drupe, large, and with a high percentage of pulp, between 84.5% and 86.5%. "This is why it has always been processed as a table olive," explains the master oilmaker, "rarely for oil: only when, as the maturation progresses, the pulp becomes soft and unsuitable for table olive processing."

But it's not just the size of the fruit that has generally influenced producers towards this production choice. "The cucco variety is mainly found in the old olive groves of the Chieti coastal hills," Giuseppe details, "but it is not widespread because it does not produce every year and because of the pre-harvest fall due to its early ripening. In fact, due to the low productivity in new plantations, this variety is not planted."

Why produce it: the reasons for a choice

"In a particularly difficult year for olive growing, 2023, I decided to use the cucco variety for oil production against the usual customs," Ursini continues. "Also, thanks to a favorable situation: I finally identified a production area and convinced two olive growers, in particular, to sell me these olives rather than processing them as table olives. Paying them as if that were their destiny, for the table and not for oil, thus spending 20% more. However, I wanted to bet on it, and I believe the result proves us right. We harvested about 48 quintals of olives and produced about 600 liters of oil, with an average yield of about 12%. We harvested very early, at the beginning of October, because that is its period, to avoid the early fall and collect an insufficient quantity." We look forward to the next harvest in 2024.

Ursini | Fossacesia (CH) | via S.P. Santa Maria La Nova, 12 | 0872579060 | www.ursini.com