Flashback: it’s November and, in south-east France, it’s olive harvest season, the olivades. Because it’s in autumn that this little fruit, synonymous with sunshine and summer recipes, reaches maturity. At Château d’Estoublon, different varieties of olive trees grow on some one hundred hectares. In all, over 200 tonnes of olives are harvested each year – it takes 6 or 7 kg to obtain 1 liter of oil. Like the grape varieties for wine, each fruit, and therefore each single-variety oil, has its own specific characteristics: Grossane is round and sweet, with notes of almond and cut grass, while Picholine, small but sturdy, is fiery and peppery.
Article by Céline Puertas
