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AOC — PDO — Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Mild and scarcely bitter, this oil from Nice envelops the palate in a rounded almond flavour, guardian since Antiquity of the coastal terroir of the Alpes-Maritimes.
Oil from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, PDO (AOP) since 2006.
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Olive growing in Nice dates back to Antiquity, introduced along the coastal strip through successive Phoenician, Greek, and then Roman invasions. The coastal terroir of the Alpes-Maritimes, with its terraced groves clinging to mountain slopes, has shaped an unbroken olive-growing tradition spanning more than two thousand years. Huile d'olive de Nice was recognised as an appellation d'origine contrôlée in 2001, and later obtained European PDO status on 11 March 2006.
The production area covers 99 communes in the Alpes-Maritimes, at an altitude below 750 metres, across hills, sub-coastal plateaux, and terraced slopes. The climate, Mediterranean with mountain influences, is characterised by mild winter temperatures, excellent sunshine, and winds that are rarely violent. The olive groves are planted on terraces, also known as 'restanques' or 'planches', in colluvial soils rich in limestone or marl-limestone gelifracts. Over the centuries, this distinctive relief and climate selected the Cailletier variety, which today dominates the olive groves of Nice.
For the Niçois, olive oil is prized for its taste and forms an essential foundation of the local diet. The Cailletier, known locally as Petite olive de Nice, Olivier de Grasse, or Grassenc, is a local variety cultivated for centuries and traditionally harvested by pole-beating, using a long hazel or chestnut pole. It is a key ingredient in pan bagnat, the small round bread roll moistened with olive oil and filled with tomatoes and salt. Renowned for its aromas and high content of antioxidant polyphenols, Huile d'olive de Nice is also valued for its health benefits.
Appearance
Clear oil, pale yellow to light gold in colour depending on the olives' stage of ripeness.
Aroma
An oil of the "ripe fruity" type, with a principal aroma of almond, complemented depending on the year by one or more secondary aromas: raw artichoke, broom blossom, hay, grass, leaf, pastry notes, ripe apple, dried fruit, lemony notes.
Taste
Mild flavour, low in pungency (pungency ≤ 2) and scarcely bitter (bitterness ≤ 1.5) on the Conseil oléicole international scale.
Texture
Medium unctuousness, smooth and coating sensation.
Huile d'olive de Nice PDO is produced mainly from the Cailletier variety, which accounts for at least 95% of the olive trees in the grove. Pollinating or old local varieties (Arabanier, Blanquetier, Blavet, Nostral, Ribeyrou) may be interplanted, without exceeding 5% of the trees in each parcel.
After harvesting, the olives are cleared of leaves and foreign matter, then sorted.
The olives are washed with water.
Mechanical crushing of the olives.
Slow, progressive mixing of the paste to encourage the coalescence of the oil droplets.
The oil rests for a few days to clarify naturally.
Gentle filtration if necessary.
Packaging in a container protected from light, air, and heat.
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Serving: At room temperature. Keep protected from light, air, and heat.
Drinks: Dry Provençal white wine, Vermentino, light rosé wines, fresh water. As an aperitif with tapenade.
Since: 2001
Area covered: 99 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes (altitude < 750 m)
Key requirements: Cailletier variety ≥ 95% (pollinating varieties tolerated ≤ 5%); harvest at good ripeness (≥ 50% wine-lees colour); mechanical extraction ≤ 27°C, without additives (except water); free acidity ≤ 1 g/100g; pungency ≤ 2 and bitterness ≤ 1.5 (COI scale)
Since: 2006
Area covered: 99 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes (altitude < 750 m)
Key requirements: European registration of the appellation d'origine contrôlée, confirming the requirements of the national specifications.
Family-run GAEC
Family-run
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Request a listingFamily-run GAEC
GAEC Domaine du Piéchal is a family-run farm situated at 1082 chemin du Camp de Tende, in Châteauneuf. It offers for direct sale olive oils, pâte d'olive de Nice PDO (AOP), tapenades and olives, as well as soaps and gift sets.
The estate shop welcomes visitors from Monday to Saturday with a complimentary tasting, and guided tours are available upon reservation. The farm also attends local markets.
| Address | Chemin bétonné après rond point puis chemin en terre 100 m montez, 1082 Chem. du Camp de Tende a droite, 06740 Châteauneuf-Grasse, France |
| 06 65 59 65 68 | |
| piechal.fr | |
| Facebook page | |
| https://www.Instagram.com/domaine_du_piechal | |
| Visits | Yes — shop Tuesday–Saturday 9:30–13:00, group visits by appointment |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2020. |
Family-run
The estate presents itself as a family-run olive farm based in La Trinité, in the hills overlooking Nice, and describes itself as a 'producer-packager' (producteur conditionneur): from the tree to the olive oil, table olives and olive pulp, every stage takes place on site, with a commitment to excellence and respect for the environment. The range includes extra virgin olive oil, table olives, olive paste and jams. The farm is registered under the company name EARL Lessatini et Fils, with headquarters at 77 vieux chemin de Laghet, in La Trinité (Alpes-Maritimes).
The website recounts the memory of traditional pole harvesting (récolte à la gaule) handed down through the family: Pépé Jean, renowned for being exacting about the hazel wood of the poles used to beat the branches, and Mémé Césarine, who spent hours bent double gathering from the ground olives that had fallen far beyond the cloths spread beneath the trees. Harvesting was concentrated in winter, between January and April, as the olive de Nice is a cold-season olive.
| Address | 77 Vieux Chemin de Laghet, 06340 La Trinité, France |
| +33 6 18 07 31 65 | |
| domaine-lessatini.fr | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2019. |
