To start
Le Barretian olive oil comes from our more than a century-old olive grove, located in the Upper Var, in the municipality of Villecroze les Grottes.
Our terroir, the climate of Var, the layout of the orchards, the altitude of the plots (350m), and their North-West/South-East orientation, all contribute to the flourishing of our olive trees.
In 2016, we revived our olive grove, which had been abandoned for decades.
It is on ancient terraces, mostly narrow, that our olive trees are planted. This adds to the charm of the site but makes cultivation more complex. It is impossible here to resort to industrial harvesting methods using "olive shakers," which are much more effective but violently shake the trunks of the trees. Of course, our ancestral method, requiring more labor, increases production costs, but the quality and respect for the tree are well worth this effort.
Our olives are cared for with love and without any non-organic treatments.
Our goal is to produce excellent quality oil using pruning, harvesting, and pressing techniques (the process during which the olive is transformed into oil) while respecting tradition and the environment.
The little story of the last harvest.
The winter of 2023-2024 was particularly mild with temperatures above normal before the cold returned in February. The spring of 2024 was rather generous in terms of rainfall, allowing good water recharge in the soil between February and April. The early and abnormal return of heat was interrupted by a frost episode in April, then by further abundant rains in May and June. The dry and hot Provençal summer favored a pretty and important flowering, then the mild autumn was conducive to the development of our olives. Numerous rains despite this mildness loaded the fruits with water in a historically
important. In September, this excess water sometimes caused our beautiful olives to fall. We chose to harvest in early November to keep the fruit healthy and to guarantee freshness and fruitiness to our oil, at the expense of yield. The harvest lasted a month and ended in early December. Each batch of oil obtained, from distinct varieties and at different maturities, was tasted to determine the blend that met our criteria and requirements to create the new Alpha oil. We are therefore pleased to be able to offer you our new Alpha Volume 5 oil, a blend of our best batches from Aglandau, Bouteillan and Cayon. Aromas of fresh grass and artichoke, a fruity flavor with notes of almond and green tomato characterize it.
Its slight bitterness and its fiery finish characterize this harmonious and balanced olive oil with its intense green fruitiness. A drizzle of Alpha Volume 5 on white fish, raw fish or meats, as well as on cooked vegetables or white cheeses will be enough to enhance your dishes. It will also be your best ally as an aperitif, simply on a piece of bread!
alpha volume 4
Alpha, Volume 4 intense green fruity with notes of greenery, artichoke and almond is as harmonious and balanced as ever.
With a present ardor and a slight bitterness, it will perfectly accompany your white fish, your vegetables (raw or cooked) or even your fresh cheeses.
le BARRETIAN
This is the result of blending olives harvested when more ripe (December). It will bring a bit more smoothness to the palate with very little pungency and bitterness.
Aromas of ripe fruits and red fruits characterize this olive oil.
You can enjoy it, for example, with cooked vegetables (ratatouille, pot-au-feu, vegetable medley...), in the preparation of your desserts, or simply on your pasta.