Oil from our mill
Sainte-Madeleine Abbey in Le Barroux is currently the only monastery in France to have its own mill.
This allows the monks to make their own olive oil. It is part of the monks' long tradition of olive growing, dating back to the 6th century. Other monasteries have olive orchards, but have their oil produced elsewhere.
The three flavours
Flavours : Wine has its bouquets, olive oil its fruités, i.e. all the aromatic sensations that depend on the terroir, the local varieties (112 in Provence, half a dozen of which are the main ones) and the know-how of the olive growers and millers. Depending on the ripeness of the fruit, we obtain fruité vert or fruité mûr, or, with controlled fermentation, fruité noir. Each of these fruités develops a palette of flavours including the most original and varied references.
GREEN FRUIT: La Reialo
intense taste
REIALO is Provençal for Royal. A fruity green with an intense flavour, this oil is ideal for salads, on fresh, fleshy tomatoes, tabbouleh with coriander, gazpacho or artichokes. It keeps meat tender and flavours fish. Try it on steak or veal. REIALO green fruity olive oil, with its intense flavour, can be used to flavour your rice or pasta, as well as steamed vegetables. Try it with fresh goat's cheese, it's incomparable.
This variety is available in 50 cl, 75 cl and 25 cl metal bottles and in 3 litre fountains.
RIPPED FRUIT: La Joio
subtle taste
JOIO, the joy, is a ripe fruity, subtle flavour: it goes well with vegetables such as carrots or courgettes. Enjoy with fine fish such as monkfish, fresh salmon, cod or trout. It also enhances white meats and desserts. In a frying pan, try the subtle taste of JOIO on a turkey or pork escalope with mushrooms and a few aubergines. Add a drizzle of oil to a fruit salad, vanilla ice cream or pastry.
This variety comes in 50cl and 25cl metal bottles and 3-litre fountains.
BLACK FRUIT: La Siavo
old-fashioned taste
SIAVO is a fruity, mature oil with an old-fashioned taste: just a few drops of olive oil on simple potatoes is enough to make them sublime. It can also be used to season a slice of lamb, a simple piece of beef or a duck breast, keeping the vegetables soft and tender. In the oven, roasted in olive oil, chicken becomes gourmet. Siavo has an old-fashioned flavour, ideal with trout or salmon and the accompanying purée! You may prefer to simply enjoy this Fruité à l'ancienne olive oil with boiled eggs, or with fresh bread. Try it on desserts such as a nut brownie or chocolate ice cream.
This variety is presented in the Terroir range in 50 cl and 25 cl metal bottles and in 3 litre fountains.
Nature 100 %
You could say of our oil "Natural by vocation", because the monks who make it have a centuries-old tradition of respecting the work of the Creator, whom they profess to serve and adore.
Sustainable agriculture
The location itself lent itself well to this approach, as the main olive pests develop very little in our terroirs, which are usually located on higher ground, with little humidity and plenty of wind. From the outset, the monks' work was based on the following principles at the top end of the "sustainable agriculture" class.
The oil production process is, in any case, very complex. entirely natural, olive oil is really just pure fruit juice with no additives or reagents of any kind.
The oil production process is, in any case, very complex. entirely natural, olive oil is really just pure fruit juice with no additives or reagents of any kind.
The Monastic logo and network
Many brands usurp a name of religious origin to benefit from an image that enhances, but without any real justification (out of more than 120 registered trademarks containing the word "monk", less than a dozen have any real connection with actual monastic life).L'ARTISANAT MONASTIQUE DE PROVENCE is part of a a group of more than 200 religious houses who have taken legal steps to protect the unique nature of their production: Monastic®.
This association is also a distribution network which enabled members to have a series of monastic shops in which to sell their produce from the outset, while at the same time regulating production to avoid unnecessary competition.
It has filed a an exclusive logo guaranteeing its truly monastic origin and can only be affixed in compliance with a specific charter.
All the basic products of L'ARTISANAT MONASTIQUE DE PROVENCE benefit from this exclusive quality guarantee, and of course all our olive oils.
The origin of our olives
The origin of the olives is indicated on the bottle with the logo "origine France".
The olives come from the monastery and local olive growers.
Depending on the fruit, we use different olives: mainly Verdale for the green and black fruit, and mainly Tanche for the ripe fruit.
Finally, we also sometimes use Rougette and Picholine grapes, which are such a delightful addition to the French and Provençal olive-growing landscape.
What we're looking for above all is the balance of flavour that enhances each oil, resulting in delicious, distinctive oils.
To get the best out of your meal
It's important to choose the right moment: generally just before a meal (when our body is most receptive to the characteristics of food) and more specifically just before lunch.
Once you've opened your bottle, START BY SMELLING! Take the time to smell this explosion of flavours, and you'll discover three fruity notes from an oil that's unique in the world!
Start by smelling the ripe fruity, this oil is the most subtle, with a floral and fruity fragrance. Then turn to the fruité vert, where you'll smell a fresh, herbaceous fragrance. Finally comes the fruité à l'ancienne, where you'll discover a panorama of candied fruit, smooth and sunny.
IT'S TIME TO TASTE: Pour the olive oil onto the corner of a plate, dip in a piece of fresh bread and taste: with the ripe fruity, you'll enjoy a delicate sensation of red fruit and almond. Then when you taste our fruité vert, your palate will discover an olive oil with character, enhanced by the presence of the two well-proportioned components of ardence & a slight bitterness. The ardency is a slight tingle that gives strength to the taste, the bitterness, a quality that brings out the flavour of the food. But it's undoubtedly with the discovery of the fruity old-fashioned taste that you'll be most surprised. This oil is creamy! You'll quickly discover aromas of black olives and tapenade, followed by candied fruits and sometimes even mushrooms or cocoa!
Once you've opened your bottle, START BY SMELLING! Take the time to smell this explosion of flavours, and you'll discover three fruity notes from an oil that's unique in the world!
Start by smelling the ripe fruity, this oil is the most subtle, with a floral and fruity fragrance. Then turn to the fruité vert, where you'll smell a fresh, herbaceous fragrance. Finally comes the fruité à l'ancienne, where you'll discover a panorama of candied fruit, smooth and sunny.
IT'S TIME TO TASTE: Pour the olive oil onto the corner of a plate, dip in a piece of fresh bread and taste: with the ripe fruity, you'll enjoy a delicate sensation of red fruit and almond. Then when you taste our fruité vert, your palate will discover an olive oil with character, enhanced by the presence of the two well-proportioned components of ardence & a slight bitterness. The ardency is a slight tingle that gives strength to the taste, the bitterness, a quality that brings out the flavour of the food. But it's undoubtedly with the discovery of the fruity old-fashioned taste that you'll be most surprised. This oil is creamy! You'll quickly discover aromas of black olives and tapenade, followed by candied fruits and sometimes even mushrooms or cocoa!
