Oil Season 2025: Analysis of Quality and Production Challenges in Tuscany

The 2025 oil season laid bare the vulnerabilities and, at the same time, the exceptional capacity of the Tuscan olive supply chain, shaping up as a complex year full of challenges. Despite a particularly difficult agronomic and climatic context, olive growers' commitment to pursuing qualitative excellence did not fail, confirming the sector's expertise. The season was defined by a concomitance of critical factors: the physiological "unloading" cycle of the olive tree, which followed the rich 2024 vintage; adverse weather conditions, most notably the intense heat wave recorded in the second half of June; and significant phytosanitary pressure, with widespread attacks of the olive fly that required the utmost attention.

Productivity analysis is the essential starting point for understanding the economic and agronomic context of the 2025 season. Indeed, harvest quantity not only directly influences market dynamics and price formation, but also determines the economic sustainability of individual farms. The year under review was characterized by reduced production over much of the region, a result attributable to a combination of agronomic, climatic and pest factors.

• Biennial Bearing: The primary factor affecting quantity was the natural two-year cycle of the olive tree. The year 2025 was configured as a "dump year," following the 2024 season that had been particularly generous in terms of fruit. This physiological phenomenon, alternating seasons of high productivity with less abundant ones, is a constant in olive grove management.
• Climatic and Phytosanitary Factors: Further complicating the production picture were two key elements. The intense heat recorded in the second half of June severely tested the plants during a delicate phase of their development. Subsequently, the widespread presence of the oil fly required constant monitoring and targeted interventions to limit fruit damage.
• Extreme Weather Events: The situation was aggravated, in specific areas, by extreme weather events. A violent hailstorm in late August significantly affected the harvest in the area north of Prato, further reducing the production potential of that area.

However, the production decline was not uniform throughout the region. In contrast to areas that predicted declines of even more than 30 percent, Maremma, which alone accounts for a quarter of Tuscany's olive-growing areas, bucked the trend, recording a good presence of olives on the trees. Despite a quantitatively poor harvest, the attention of the most shrewd producers focused on safeguarding the quality of the oil, a distinctive element of Tuscan tradition.

Beyond the quantity produced, the quality of an oil season is measured through the chemical parameters that define the characteristics and stability of extra virgin oil. The data presented below, derived from the analyses carried out on samples from the 2025 campaign, offer an accurate and objective snapshot of the product obtained, despite the difficulties encountered in the field.

The average results of the analyses carried out on the 2025 season samples are as follows:

• Average acidity: 0.26% oleic acid
• Average value of Peroxides: 6.31 meqO2/Kg
• Average content of Biophenols: 379.89 mg/Kg

The following table shows all the processed data:

The analyses were carried out with the CDR OxiTester system in the CDR Chemical Laboratory "Francesco Bonicolini."

The average polyphenols (biophenols) value of 379.89 mg/Kg indicates a good quality product with a fair phenolic charge.

Although this is not an exceptional value compared to other vintages, it is sufficient to ensure a balanced sensory profile and good stability to oxidation. Acidity, an index of olive health, showed an average value of 0.26%: this is a good result, it is well below the legal limit for extra virgin olive oil (0.8%) and shows how, despite fears related to fly attacks, producers managed to bring healthy fruit to the mill that was processed in a timely manner.

The average peroxide value of 6.31 meqO2/Kg is very low and far from the legal limit (20 meqO2/Kg), confirming that the oils were produced correctly and will be able to maintain sensory excellence over the long term.

The only negative note to report is that 3 samples registered a polyphenol value below 250 mg/kg, identified by us as the limit below which oils lose the organoleptic characteristics usually sought and may have a worse preservation. The 250 mg/kg limit comes from more than 15 years of annual studies on the parameters that characterize Tuscan oil, conducted by researchers at the CDR chemical laboratory.

Two main considerations emerge from analysis of the table. First, the average biophenol content of 2025 (379.89 mg/Kg) is the lowest in recent years and is below the historical average. This suggests that oils from this campaign generally have a "softer" organoleptic profile, with less pronounced bitter and spicy notes than in the past.

While these oils may intercept the taste of a broader consumer base less accustomed to intense profiles, they may disappoint connoisseurs looking for the classic robust character of Tuscan oils. On the contrary, the acidity value (0.26%) is perfectly in line with the historical average (0.25%), confirming agronomic management that has been able to preserve the integrity of the fruit.

It is also interesting to compare these actual figures with forecasts made in September 2025, based on a particularly wet summer. At that time, an acidity between 0.30% and 0.40% and a polyphenol level between 400 and 430 mg/Kg were expected. The final results showed better acidity than expected in September.

This suggests that industry operators handled the issues well, perhaps helped by the earliness of the fly attack that occurred as early as July, dropping damaged olives before the harvest period.

In conclusion, the 2025 olive oil campaign in Tuscany, although marked by a physiological drop in production and complex climatic challenges, reaffirms the extraordinary expertise of the local supply chain operators.

The data that emerged from the chemical analysis performed with CDR OxiTester return the image of a healthy and well-processed product: the low values of acidity (0.26%) and peroxides (6.31 meqO2/Kg) show how producers were able to manage critical issues in a timely manner.

Although the organoleptic profile is "softer" than in the tradition, due to a biophenol content at an all-time low, the 2025 oil offers a sensory balance that, while departing from the classic Tuscan robustness, could intercept the taste of a wider audience of consumers.

Ultimately, the vintage demonstrates that, even in the face of adverse agronomic scenarios, the professionalism of the operators can guarantee an extra virgin oil of high quality and stability.