6 good olive oils made in Occitanie

Obtaining an AOP is always a victory. After decades of steady, hard work, Languedoc olive oil producers were awarded the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) inlée (AOC) in 2020 and the appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) on October 24, 2023, marking the recognition at European level of local know-how. Oil production in the Languedoc region dates back to the Xᵉ century. Decimated by the bitter cold of the 1956 winter, it took off again in the 1980s, with better supervision of operations: choice of plots, irrigation, tree pruning, maintenance without chemical weeding, surface areas...

Languedoc olive oil is a multi-varietal product, based on two main varieties: the olive, which covers half the surface area of olive groves, and the lucques, which accounts for 30% of orchards. The proportion of each of these two varieties is less than or equal to 70%. Some 150 olive oil producers share 192 hectares, spread over 250 communes in the Aude and 180 in the Hérault. The particularity of the soils (proximity to the northern mountains and marine influences) and the fruit brings personality and typicity to these often sweet oils, with notes of autumn fruit and dried fruit.

Cold pressing or extraction

Pressing and extraction involve different techniques for recovering the juice. The traditional practice of pressing the pulp by crushing, under the weight of a stone, is hardly suited to today's harvest volumes. The modern method of extraction, using centrifuges, is capable of absorbing large quantities at a rate that the mill cannot keep up with. Yet olive quality depends on the time between harvesting and pressing. Once harvested, olives sweat, ferment, oxidize and risk going mouldy if processing times are too long.

Six addresses for good olive oil in Occitanie

Discover six addresses in Occitanie where you can find excellent olive oil. These passionate producers offer you quality oils, rich in flavor, to enhance your dishes with the best of the local terroir.

Cooperative l'Oulibo (1)

Awarded the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label in 2017, this cooperative has around 850 members. Founded in 1942, it processes exclusively regional olives and produces up to 120,000 liters of oil a year, without preservatives or additives. On-site "Olive Odyssey" tour and introductory tasting session.

Tasting notes: A pretty buttercup hue, very yellow and brilliant. The nose is spring-like, with a hint of oil and dried fruit, pleasant and fresh. The texture is well coated. The palate is soft and persistent, with green fruit and no harshness or aggressiveness. A consensual, gentle oil, very well made, with notes of green plum and pepper on the finish.

• Price: 16.26 euros
• 15,7/20
• 4, hameau de Cabezac 11120 Bize-Minervois
• www.loulibo.fr

Le Mas d'Antonin (2)

In the 2000s, Éléna Anton began producing olive oil on land inherited from her great-grandfather. 1,000 olive trees, mostly producing lucques and olive groves, are cultivated. She has also restored and developed her great-grandfather's truffle farm. The site includes gîtes, a truffle cooking workshop, a delicatessen selling AOC oils, tours and tastings.

Tasting notes: Slight intensity and brilliance, a balanced yellow color. The nose evolves between fruit and vegetable, topped with a hint of artichoke, which is echoed on the palate, quite light, with sweetness and slightly bitter notes on the finish. A flawless oil that works well as an accompaniment.

• Price: 17.50 euros
• 14/20
• 22, rue Alfred-Delpy, 11120 Argeliers
• le-mas-d-antonin.fr

Le Moulin de la Dentelle (3)

This dozen-hectare estate owes its name to the nearby rocky line. Muriel de la Torre runs the family business, a privately-owned mill since the late 1950s that has adapted to the processing needs of small local olive grove owners. 10% of her production is certified organic. Store on site and online, visit the mill in season.

Tasting notes: A beautiful yellow hue, a slight cloudiness, a fine impression of craftsmanship, with a marked viscosity. The nose is not very pronounced, a little verjuice with a little acidity, good fruitiness, for a thick, compact palate, ardency on the attack, pleasant fruit development on walnuts and autumn dried fruit.

• Price: 23 euros
• 13,9/20
• 34, rue Sautaroch, 34560 Villeveyrac
• www.moulindeladentelle.fr

Huilerie coopérative de Clermont-l'Hérault (4)

Founded in 1920, this olive-growing cooperative merged in 2014 with the Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquière confectionery, expanding the product range to include confectionery (tapenades, honeys, jams, wines and cosmetics). 1,400 members contribute their harvests for olive crushing (the process of extracting the oil).

Tasting notes: The oil has a fluid, slightly cloudy appearance. Dense and well-balanced, it comes from olive and picholine trees. The nose is as fresh as spring water, with forest nuances. The palate is soft and pleasant on the attack, ending with a well-controlled hint of bitterness and pepper.

• Price: 22.70 euros
• 13,9/20
• 13, avenue du Président-Wilson 34800 Clermont-l'Hérault
• www.olidoc.fr

Domaine d'Astiès (5)

Catherine Dussol, a producer near Béziers, harvests olives exclusively from endemic French varieties, grown in the traditional way. Organic since 2019, she takes fertilization and protective treatments based on natural products to heart. Reception at the estate, for a tour of the olive grove and tasting on request.

Tasting notes: A fairly intense yellow-green color, a well-made oil with hints of olive and picholine. Quite fluid, it reveals a frank nose of hazelnut undergrowth. The palate is dense, fiery and almost aggressive on the attack, with an equally solid, slightly pungent finish. A cuvée with character.

• Price: 19.50 euros
• 13,6/20
• Domaine d'Astiès, 34490 Thézan-lès-Béziers
• www.huile-olive-asties.fr

Le Moulin du Sou (6)

Founded in 1921, the Cavale cooperative brings together winegrowers and farmers from Limoux and the surrounding area. It diversified into oil production in 2008, with the creation of Le Moulin du Sou, which collects olives from over 150 olive grove owners within a 50-kilometer radius. Approved for organic farming, he favors direct sales of the range.

Tasting notes: A golden, appetizing oil with an intense yellow color. The nose is a little flat, lacking concentration, but with a balanced fruitiness. The palate is light, almost transparent and smooth, with notes of apple and a slight pungency on the finish. The synthesis is good, with a very light character.

• Price: 16.95 euros
• 13,4/20
• 16, avenue du Pont-de-France 11300 Limoux
• www.coop-cavale.fr

Note that Roussillon olive oil is in the process of being recognized in the Pyrénées-Orientales and that Nîmes olive oil has benefited from an AOC since 2007, based on the endemic Picholine variety.