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AOC — PDO — Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
On the limestone foothills of the Provençal Alps, the olive trees whisper the green, mineral essence of the south.
Oil from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, PDO (AOP) since 2001.
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Olive cultivation in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is documented as early as the Middle Ages; orchards became more widespread during the 14th century. The limestone foothills of the southern Alps offer a singular terroir for growing them: an altitude between 400 and 750 metres, stony, well-drained soils, and a Mediterranean climate with a continental influence. This duality — mountain and Mediterranean — forges the gastronomic identity of Haute-Provence oil.
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Over the centuries, olive growers selected the variety best suited to the local climate: Aglandau, which became overwhelmingly dominant and today accounts for 80 to 100% of the varieties that make up the oil. The memorable frost of 1956 still serves as a benchmark in the specifications to identify ancient varieties planted before that date. The orchards have since largely recovered: from around 45,000 trees in 1994, there are now nearly 400,000 trees across 1,600 hectares in production.
Faced with economic difficulties at the turn of the 20th century, olive growers joined forces to achieve recognition for their terroir: the appellation d'origine contrôlée was granted by decree on 13 December 1999, and subsequently protected at European level as a PDO since 2001. Today, around 2,847 olive growers cultivate olive trees within the appellation's geographical area, and some fifteen mills still produce this oil renowned for its finesse and assertive green fruitiness.
Appearance
Yellow with green highlights, which gradually fade over time.
Aroma
Aromas of raw artichoke, apple, banana, freshly cut grass, and fresh almond, alone or combined.
Taste
Dominant flavour of raw artichoke, followed by secondary notes of banana, grass, apple, and fresh almond; marked peppery pungency ('ardence') and bitterness, measured on the scale of the Conseil Oléicole International prior to marketing.
Texture
Fluid, light, penetrating — remarkable finesse for a PDO.
opening date set each year by the INAO; short period of 55 days maximum, generally during the month of November.
the olives are delivered to the mill no more than 3 days after harvesting.
visual ripeness monitored (maximum 30% black olives), sound batches with less than 10% browning.
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A versatile oil. Raw: a drizzle over pasta, bruschetta, alpine salad, white fish. In medium cooking: vegetables, toasted bread. Avoid high heat (> 160°C) to preserve the fruitiness. Pairs with goats' cheeses, crudités, chanterelles, mountain mushrooms. Keeps excellently in a cellar at 12–14°C.
Since: 1999
Area covered: 95 communes in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), Var (83), Bouches-du-Rhône (13), and Vaucluse (84), middle Durance valley
Key requirements: Aglandau variety 80 to 100% (min. 80%), complementary Picholine 0–20%; short harvest period (55 days max., in November); exclusively mechanical extraction without heating; free acidity ≤ 0.8 g/100 g
Since: 2001
Area covered: 95 communes in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), Var (83), Bouches-du-Rhône (13), and Vaucluse (84), middle Durance valley
Key requirements: European registration of the appellation d'origine contrôlée, confirming the requirements of the national specifications.
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