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Since 1919 the family oil mill has been processing its own olives and those of other local producers. Today at the mill we combine our knowledge with modern production norms to obtain olive oils of a quality appreciated by connoisseurs.
To cater for different tastes we now produce two olive oils. Each has its own particular identity which lovers of olive oil will enjoy: our traditional ‘Fruity black’, and ‘Green’. Both are extra virgin and cold pressed.
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‘Fruity Black’ olive oil
This is the highly reputed traditional olive oil for which our mill is known. In the middle of winter the ripe olives are picked and then stored for a controlled period. This slow maturing process of the olives inside the mill is an ancient practice in Provence which we have learnt from our fathers and grandfathers. ‘Fruity Black’ olive oil resembles the taste of a black olive: black olives, sourdough bread, dried fruits… it is smooth and full of flavour but gentle on the palate with no bitter flavours.
Our olive oil brings sunshine to your cooking, from starter to dessert. It is perfect for seasoning salads, tomatoes and crudités.
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The ‘Fruity Black’ oil goes well with pulses : we always try the new season’s olive oil with chick peas in November.
It is an ideal accompaniment for mushrooms, potatoes (sautéed, in their skins or puréed) and goes perfectly with goat’s cheese.
In Provence we always eat ‘Fruity Black’ olive oil with truffle omelettes or scrambled eggs with truffles. A truffle producer has revealed his favourite dish to us: slithers of raw truffle on a slice of country bread sprinkled with salt flowers and generously drizzled with ‘Fruity Black’ olive oil from the mill…
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‘Green’ olive oil
This special variety is obtained from olives picked when just ripe and pressed as soon as they arrive at the mill. The ‘Green’ olive oil tastes very similar to green olives: fresh and grassy with aromas of green bananas and fresh basil. It has a slightly peppery taste.
When used in cooking the ‘Green’ gives a freshness which lights up summer salads, pasta dishes, rice, steamed vegetables or spelt from Haute Provence.
It is wonderful with grilled fish or court-bouillon and with lightly cooked meat.
At home we drizzle a little ‘Green’ oil into our vegetable soup or our provençal ‘soupe au pistou’.
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Our olive oils keep well if stored away from light and heat. In these ideal storage conditions you can keep them for about a year and a half after the date of purchase.
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Labels and awards
All our olive oil is labelled ‘French Olive Oil’. This label, awarded by the ‘Association Française Interprofessionnelle de l’Olive’, guarantees the origin of the product. A French olive oil must be extracted in a French olive mill using olives produced in France.
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Our olive oils are well known and regularly win prizes at regional competitions organised by the Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the ‘Association Française Interprofessionnelle de l’Olive’.
Lovers of fine food will find us in the pages of the Guide du Routard (Provence 2009), the Guide Champérard 2009 and the Guide Gantié 2009.
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The olive tree and the family
As Provençal farmers we have always cultivated olives, wheat and vines. For four generations we have been involved in the annual life cycle of the olive tree...
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In the spring pruning shapes the trees and encourages fructification. In June the olive tree is covered in clusters of tiny white flowers. Natural selection means that only 5 out of 100 flowers will become olives.
In summer the olives feed on the sunshine and occasional torrential rain.
Then, after the wheat and grape harvests, comes the last harvest of the year – the olives.
There is intense activity at the mill with the arrival of the olives each day. After the harvest the cold weather forces the olive tree to take its winter rest.
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The Luberon olive tree
Olive oil is a reflection of its native land. Proof of this in the Luberon is that century after century one particular variety of olive remains: the Aglandau. In Provençal its name means ‘acorn-shaped’. Through natural selection this variety has adapted itself to the sunny slopes of the Luberon and the Monts de Vaucluse. Each time local farmers plant more olive trees they choose the local variety.
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The Aglandau is known for its smooth, aromatic oil and excellent keeping properties.
We continue to plant this variety and encourage others to do the same.
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