Covering letter to the delivery from Campillo de Julia:
This season the olive juice we send you is a very rare luxury. We have no record of any year in which we have had less olive crop than this one. There has been a general shortage in Spain but not for the same reason everywhere. In the South it has been due to the lack of rain and in the East it has been due to the extreme heat and the “repilo”.
“Repilo” is a fungus we know well and under normal circumstances, we can control it without any problems. This year, however, we had 15 consecutive days of rain at a very unfavourable time. This allowed the repilo to spread quickly and defoliate our trees.
In addition, we decided to harvest the olives very early in order to achieve a better organoleptic quality and a higher polyphenol content. If we had harvested later, the quantity would have been greater, but we would have obtained a lower quality.
Scarcity is something that is not in our hands but quality and doing things in harmony with nature is. Thanks to direct sales this year we are able to invest in and implement regenerative practices in Campillo de Julia like a composting facility to make our own compost, the care of 400 sheep (whose manure along with the natural pruning of weeds help us to restore the fertility of the soil), the planting of aromatic herbs and the construction of the most sustainable olive oil mill in Europe.
Happy EVOO harvest!!
Gonzalo Úrculo
How to preserve extra virgin olive oil?
When storing oil, you should protect it from its three biggest enemies: direct light, heat and air. Therefore, store the oil in a sealed container in a cool and dark place.
Analysis of the EVOO of Campillo de Julia, Harvest 2022
21 November, 2022
Miguel Abad, olive oil technician and person responsible for EVOO at Campillo de Julia, has written this report on the sensory and polyphenol analysis of this year’s EVOO.
Technical information
- Yield: sms (49,88±5,05)%.
- Laboratory extractability: 0.70
- Industrial extractability: 0,84
- Rancimat stability (120ºC): Average 14,21h
- Mean polyphenols (ppm caffeic acid): Average 321.39
- Oleic acid (%): Average 70,18%
Organoleptic description:
This year the production of the olive trees on the fields of Campillo de Julia has been extremely low due to climatic conditions. As there were few fruits growing, the olive trees have produced larger olives and therefore the oils are fruitier and have a better aromatic structure. It is a green fruity EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) with medium-high intensity, with notes of apple, almond and other ripe fruits, banana and pear.
In the mouth, the oil is sweet at first and then develops its slight spiciness and bitterness. This is due to the content of polyphenols and tocopherols, as we reduced the water supply during the months of August and September. This led to an increase in these phenolic compounds, which are also highly valued in almonds, tender nuts as well as green bananas.
It is classified by the tasting panel as a Mild Green Fruity EVOO, which harmonises with all types of foods, mainly fruit, vegetables, desserts, white meats and fish.
Be the first to comment