Château Virant

A true treasure of Provence, olive oil is considered almost sacred throughout the Mediterranean basin. This "green gold" has been at the heart of Château Virant's production for generations where all of their olive oils are made at their own mill with olives grown on their own land. We are so proud of this oil, harvested exclusively in Provence and pressed in Chateau Virant's mill in the heart of their estate. To produce PDO Aix en Provence olive oil, the olives are harvested early in the season and the resulting oil offers a pale green color with golden reflections. The dominant aromas are fresh grass, foliage, green apple, and almond on the nose and palate. The structure is complex, smooth, and balanced. It's slight bitterness contributes to its overall complexity.  In more details, Chateau Virant begin by visually checking the quality of the olives that arrive at the mill, remove the berries and discard any damaged fruit. The olives are then stripped of their leaves, washed with clean water, and crushed. The resulting paste is kneaded and then the oil is separated mechanically by means of centrifugal force. Next, the oils are placed in vats where they are filtered. Finally, they will be bottled and packaged for sale. The olives (which consits of Salonenque, Aglandau, Picholine, Grossane, and Verdale des Bouches-du-Rhône) that are used to produce PDO Aix-en-Provence olive oils are harvested early in the season and immediately processed at the mill. Organoleptic maturity is favoured over physiological maturity. Both raw and cooked, this olive oil is remarkable with all types of salads, vegetables, and fish. It also pairs well with white and red meats, especially lamb.