The ancestors of our land seem to have carefully selected the most appropriate varieties of olives for this land and climate. In doing so, they also chose olives with exquisite flavour and aroma. So we find ourselves with a unique bouquet of olives that gives our oil this special taste, aroma and texture. A blend that is impossible to match with the newer varieties that are used by the intensive plantations.
The three old and indigenous varieties of olive trees that grow on our farm and make our olive oil are:
1. Galega
The Galega olive is a unique and ancient variety native to Portugal. It is one of the most popular olive varieties originating from Portugal. It is known for it's mystical flavor natural to excellent products and for it's ability to tolerate drought. It is sensitive to cold, salinity and limestone, therefore an ideal variety to grow in the Alentejo.
Galega Palate & Flavour:
Sweet
Delicate
Fruity
Mild
Green fruity
Almond notes
2. Cobrançosa
This Portuguese variety is mainly used to produce high quality extra virgin olive oil. The olives produce an oil that has bold, intense flavours with a spicy after taste. The oil is rich in polyphenol and is therefore resistant to oxidation whilst also adding to the nutritional value of the olive oil.
Cobrançosa Palate & Flavour:
Bold
Intense
Spicy
3. Bical
Bical is a typical native Portuguese variety that is rare to find. This variety should not be mistaken with the Piqual variety that comes from Spain. Bical's name derives from the “Bico” (the spout) that can be found at the pointed end of the olive fruit. This unique variety contributes to our olive oil with a very special fruity flavour and the creamy texture.
Bical Palate & Flavour:
Fruity
Creamy
All the olive varieties found on our land are not used by the intensive plantations today. Most larger scale productions prefer to use varieties that grow fast, have high oil yields, are disease resistant and smaller in order to be suitable to mechanical harvests (ex. Arbequin, Piqual that come from Spain). Aroma, flavour and texture are therefore secondary criteria.
The varieties we found on our land have unique taste and flavour profiles but do not match the yield and disease resistance of todays new varieties.
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