The Chianti producer’s Frantoio monovarietal earned another Gold as the family continues to invest in groves and milling technology.
Olive Oil Times |
San Polo, Italy — Frantoio Pruneti has been awarded a Gold at the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition for the Pruneti Frantoio brand.
Pruneti Frantoio is a medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil produced from Frantoio olives. Marked by a green, unripe character, it is distinguished by artichoke notes, fresh herbs and a clean peppery sensation that builds through the finish.
Frantoio Pruneti is a family artisan producer in San Polo, Chianti, specializing in high-quality extra virgin olive oil. The 197-acre farm has remained in the Pruneti family for more than 160 years, and the family has combined inherited agricultural know-how with ongoing research and modern technology to refine its approach in the grove and at the mill.
In Chianti’s variable seasons, attention to processing has been central to Pruneti’s quality strategy. In earlier harvests conducted during warmer-than-average autumn conditions, the family underscored the importance of controlling fruit temperatures throughout extraction, describing investments in renewed milling facilities as essential to keeping operations within the quality parameters needed to preserve aromas and flavors.
Alongside upgrades at the mill, Pruneti has continued to expand and improve its agricultural base. The family has worked to recover abandoned orchards and has undertaken a major planting effort, adding 12,000 new trees and introducing a mix of traditional varieties and lesser-known cultivars as part of a broader effort to strengthen resilience and deepen its exploration of how plot, exposure and processing choices shape the final oils.
Pruneti’s long-term focus on craft has also been expressed through projects designed to bring consumers closer to extra virgin olive oil culture. In Greve, Chianti, the brothers behind Frantoio Pruneti have developed an olive oil-centered dining concept in which extra virgin olive oil is incorporated into every dish in multiple forms, a field-to-table extension of the family’s work in the groves and mill.
The 2026 Gold adds to a strong competition record for Frantoio Pruneti at the NYIOOC, bringing the producer’s total to 10 Gold Awards and one Silver Award.
The NYIOOC result places Pruneti Frantoio among the world’s elite extra virgin olive oils. In the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, Frantoio Pruneti is ranked #16 in Italy, #49 in the Northern Hemisphere and #52 Worldwide.
The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, widely regarded as the world’s leading olive oil quality contest, is a trusted reference for consumers and industry professionals.