Our 2009 olive harvest started late in November and finished well in to December.
Our olives, a mix of picual and manzanilla, are harvested using traditional methods. Large nets are placed around the trees and the branches are then hit with long poles. The olives then fall into the nets and are collected by hand before they are transported to the local olive mill.
The olive harvest brings a flurry of activity to the ‘campo’, where all that can be heard for weeks, is the distant sound of poles hitting the branches, in time with whistling and singing of the Spanish farmers and their helpers.
Our harvest in 2009 was exceptional. We had about 3,000Kg of lovely olives which gave us about 700 litres of extra virgin olive oil, with an acidity of no more than 0.3%.
Our oil was evaluated by one of the Worlds most respected olive oil tasters and writers, who commented:-
Aroma:
Freshly grated apples with their skins with milky Brazil and macadamia nuts and a touch of hay and honey
Taste:
Sweet salad leaves and fresh culinary herbs and sweet nuts. Almost no bitterness but some rising pepper which then fades to leave an after taste of light greenery and citrus with sweet fudge and almond cake. Very smooth throughout.
Style:
Delicate style of oil with little or no bitterness and a light balancing pepper.
Assessment:
This is an attractively sweet oil with a complex range of different flavour tones. It could be used in most culinary applications including baking and mayonnaise and would make a pleasant dip with raw vegetables. It should appeal to most tastes in the market place.
From 2010 onwards, we will be offering olive oil tasting trips and holidays where you can get more involved with the olive harvest. For those attending at the time of the harvest, you will be able to taste our 1st press, often on the same day that the olives are picked.
