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AOC — PDO — Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
From noble Aix to the Mediterranean, olive oil breathes ripe fruitiness and Provençal gentleness.
Oil from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, PDO (AOP) since 2001.
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Aix-en-Provence, founded by the Roman consul Caius Sextius in 123 BC as Aquae Sextiae ('the waters of Sextius'), became a major cultural and culinary centre of Provence. The presence of the olive tree in the region is immemorial: the oldest oil mill ruins discovered to date go back to at least the 4th century BC. The two severe frosts of 1929 and, above all, 1956 destroyed virtually all the olive trees in Bouches-du-Rhône; regrowing from the stump, they explain the virtual absence of 'single-trunk' orchards within the appellation today.
The olive-growing terroir of Aix-en-Provence forms a small, rolling natural region, bordered to the north by the Durance valley, to the west by the Alpilles and the Crau, to the south by the Mediterranean, and to the east by the Sainte-Baume and Sainte-Victoire massifs. The Aglandau, Cayanne, and Salonenque varieties, cultivated here for centuries, form the backbone of the appellation: they must represent at least 80% of the trees in each orchard, and each oil must blend at least two of these three main varieties.
The appellation d'origine contrôlée 'Huile d'olive d'Aix-en-Provence' was recognised by decree on 13 December 1999, then protected at European level as a PDO on 18 October 2001. Its geographical area extends across 70 communes in Bouches-du-Rhône and 3 in Var. The Syndicat AOP Huile d'Olive d'Aix-en-Provence, established in 1995, now brings together around ten private and cooperative mills representing several hundred olive growers.
Appearance
Fluid and clear oil, warm golden yellow, with greener highlights when made from olives milled shortly after harvest.
Aroma
Two profiles depending on the harvest period. 'Green fruity' oil (olives milled quickly): a nose of fresh grass and raw artichoke, sometimes with vanilla notes. 'Ripe fruity' oil (matured olives): a more intense nose of toasted bread, black olive, and cooked artichoke, occasionally cocoa or vanilla.
Taste
Green fruity: on the palate, fresh grass and/or raw artichoke, sometimes complemented by walnuts, fresh hazelnuts, or red berries, with marked pungency and bitterness over the first four months, then slightly receding. Ripe fruity: virtually no bitterness or pungency on the palate.
Texture
Highly unctuous, more pronounced in oils produced from matured olives.
The oils are stored away from light, heat, and temperature fluctuations.
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An oil with very versatile uses. Raw: toasted bread, crudités, fresh cheeses, white fish. In medium-heat cooking: sun-drenched vegetables (aubergine, courgette), pasta, risotto. Excellent for mayonnaise and vinaigrette. Accompanies Provençal cuisine: ratatouille, daube, bouillabaisse.
Since: 1999
Area covered: 70 communes in Bouches-du-Rhône, 3 communes in Var
Key requirements: Aglandau, Cayanne, and Salonenque varieties (≥ 80% of trees); blend of at least 2 main varieties
Since: 2001
Area covered: 70 communes in Bouches-du-Rhône, 3 communes in Var
Key requirements: European recognition — same criteria
Wine and olive estate
Family-run
Family-run
SCEA
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