SOILS CHARACTERISTICS
Limestone flakes in laminar arrangement with interleaved clay layers. 80% of the land is covered with stones. Poor soil, very suitable for growing Mediterranean woody species.
Qualification:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Varieties:
85% Picual, 10% Arbequina and 5% other Mallorcan varieties.
Origin:
Different plots of the Plá of Mallorca (Mallorca)
Harvested:
November de 2023
Colour:
Yellowish greenish.
Appearance:
Powdery and opalescent, as befits an oil that has not been filtered.
Nose:
It´s very intense. The aromas stand out from the glass, filling the atmosphere with freshness. The greenery of the olive grove and the broad-leaved herbs is evident and brings back the memory of a walk through the pleta de sesteo in spring, while the grass is trodden on and the mastic bushes move. There is a leafy vegetable garden dominated by artichokes and chicory. In the background, green pistachios and mint leaves finish off the perfume.
Palate:
Volume and smoothness, with very pleasant bitter sensations that bring to mind artichokes and chicory. The spicy and subtle sensations lead to the taste of watercress that is born in a clear water source. The freshness of mint and sage are refreshing in the mouth. It is the expression of rural Majorca in an excellent vintage. It contrasts with the sophisticated delicacy of Aubocassa, becoming a complementary vision of the Mallorcan countryside.
Put a little oil in a transparent stem glass.
Appearance:
Clean filtered (bright), clean decanted (transparent), veiled, veiled-opalescent.
Tonality:
Golden-yellow, yellow, greenish-yellow, yellow-green, green, dark green.
Unctuousness: (moving the glass)
Swill to moisten the walls of the glass.
2. Let it rest for a few seconds.
3. Smell the aromas that emanate from the glass without sticking your nose in.
4. Introduce the nose into the cup (heavier aromas).
Types of aromas:
Green: Citrus, meadow grass, golf greens, vegetables – vegetable garden, green leaves, fig leaves, bitter greens, green wood.
Fruit: Apples, pears, strawberries, bananas, kiwis, lemons, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, green olives, ripe olives.
Vegetable: Tomatoes (plant, green, ripe, cooked), gazpacho, lettuce, green beans, cabbage, watercress, artichokes.
Chemical: Chemist’s, acetone.
Nuts: Almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts.
Aromatic: Spearmint, thyme, rosemary, sage, peppermint, dried herbs.
Mineral: Gas, phosphorus, graphite, gunpowder.
1. Take a sip and pass it all over the surface of the mouth.
2. Let some air pass through the olive oil.
3. Keep it a few seconds at mouth temperature.
4. Swallow it.
Texture:
Watery, fluid, silky, unctuous, oily, rough
Taste:
Fresh, fruity, green, sweet, almondy, bitter, sharp (mouth, throat)
Aftertaste:
Intensity (short/long, flat/voluminous), taste (fresh, fruity, sweet)
In professional olive oil tastings, a small rounded cobalt blue or amber glass is used, which is covered with a watch glass. Before tasting, they are heated in a yoghurt maker at 28 ˚C, so the aromas volatilise. It is smelled in short aspirations, lifting the glass. The colour is not considered important.
This method, which is good for classifying the olive oils by quality, seems inappropriate for a descriptive, hedonistic tasting. We consider the appreciation of appearance and tonality very important to approach the virgin olive oil with pleasure and the logistics should be simpler, so that it can be repeatable anywhere (restaurants, bars, homes, etc.).
We propose a method using transparent glass wine glasses with a wide receptacle to allow the aromas to accumulate and stratify.
The descriptors are collected in families so that the taster can think separately about each of them while tasting (vegetables, fruits, flowers, and so on).
It is not a question of looking for all of them in one oil. We have tried to describe a large number of notes that can be present in the different types of oil found on the market.
With practice, one can identify other hidden olfactory and gustatory registers present in this wonderful product. This can be turned into a fun, educational, entertaining activity for the senses.
