What is early harvest olive oil and what makes it so special?

Early harvest olive oil, also known as "Novello," is one of the most prized products among lovers of fine olive oil.

It is made from green olives, not yet fully ripe, which are harvested at the beginning of the campaign, when the fruit retains all its aromatic intensity and its highest concentration of beneficial natural compounds.

At Llàgrimes del Canigó, this olive oil is materialized in our Oli del Raig, the first olive oil of the year, made with Argudell olives from the Costa Brava, hand-harvested and milled on the same day to maintain all their freshness.

🌿 When is early harvest or Novello oil produced?

Early harvest typically begins between late September and early November, depending on the climate, variety, and fruit ripeness.

In our case, on the Costa Brava, the Argudell variety ripens quite late (from mid-November), but we start harvesting in mid-October to obtain a greener, more intense, and fresher oil: Oli del Raig.

The goal is not to maximize yield, but to capture the pure essence of the green olive.

 

⚖️ Lower yield, higher value

One of the most surprising aspects of early harvest oil is its low yield.

While a more mature harvest can easily yield 18–22% oil per kilo of olives, an early harvest yield drops below 10%.

This means that more than 10 kg of olives are needed to produce a single 0.5 L bottle of Oli del Raig.

This low yield explains its higher price, as almost twice as many olives are needed to produce the same amount of oil.

Therefore, only a few oil mills dare to produce this type of oil: it is a product of quality, not quantity.

👃 Taste and aroma: the difference is in the green

Early harvest oil is easily distinguished by its intense green color and deep aroma, with notes of freshly cut grass, artichoke, green tomato, or almond.
On the palate, it presents an elegant bitterness and a spicy finish, characteristics associated with the presence of natural polyphenols and chlorophylls.

In contrast, later harvest oils, such as our Auream Argudell or Auream Picual, are made with more mature olives (November-December), resulting in a goldener, softer, and sweeter oil, with less bitterness and a rounder profile.

Both styles are excellent, but they offer completely different experiences:

• Oli del Raig → fresh, intense, vibrant.

• Auream → balanced, mature, and sweet.
  

💚 More polyphenols, more health

Green olives are especially rich in polyphenols, natural antioxidant compounds that help protect our cells from oxidative stress.
In the case of early harvest oil, polyphenol levels can exceed 550–600 mg/kg, while in a mature oil they are usually around 300–350 mg/kg.

These compounds not only provide health benefits (cardiovascular protection, anti-inflammatory action, slower cellular aging), but also define the character of the oil:

👉 the more polyphenols, the more intensity, more bitterness, and a more balanced spiciness.

🌱 Each variety has its moment

Each olive variety has a different optimal ripening point.
For the Argudell, an autochthonous variety of Empordà, ripening is slow, and it is usually harvested from mid-November to obtain a mature and balanced oil.

However, at Llàgrimes del Canigó we decided to advance the harvest to mid-October to capture all the green expression and obtain an authentic early harvest oil: our Oli del Raig.

This oil is cold-pressed and bottled unfiltered, retaining its cloudy and natural appearance, with all its aromatic power intact.

Early harvest oil is much more than just oil: it is the reflection of a conscious effort to prioritize quality over yield.


It is an oil that is more expensive to produce, more complex, and more intense, but also healthier and sensorially extraordinary.

The Oli del Raig 2025 represents this philosophy:

• Made with very green Argudell olives from Empordà.

• Pressed on the same day of harvest, unfiltered.

• Rich in polyphenols (550–600 mg/kg).

• Limited edition, with a fresh, potent, and ephemeral flavor.

💚 An oil that can only be born once a year.