Signature Oils
Each of La Cultivada’s oils has a unique personality. Its character represents the joint effort made to produce a signature extra virgin olive oil, which has greater fruitiness and is greener, fresher and healthier than an ordinary oil. La Cultivada is a hymn to the quest for excellence and to humankind’s vocation for cultivating ourselves and allowing ourselves to be transformed by the environment, becoming many within one.
Selecting the juices
The selection process begins in the olive groves themselves, when we select the plots on the Estate with the highest quality fruit. These plots can vary from one year to the next. We constantly monitor the groves in order to anticipate changes and challenges and thus achieve excellence at each every harvest. Once the juices are extracted, we begin the intense task of tasting and selection which subsequently continues on a regular basis.
Early harvest
The timing of when we pick the fruit is an essential factor, one that determines the flavour and intensity of La Cultivada. Our harvest takes place when the olives are still green, just before they begin to change colour and take on a purple hue. Harvesting so early in the season means we do not obtain a high yield, but in return the quality of the oil is remarkably high. The result is a green elixir, with a high concentration of antioxidants and natural aromas and flavours.
Advanced technology
We process our olives using state-of-the-art technology, always at cold temperatures and at low speed in order to avoid heating the pulp. When the juice has settled, it is filtered using cellulose pads. The filtering of the oil is extremely important for maintaining quality during its subsequent storage. The oil is then stored in stainless steel tanks with nitrogen blanketing, and kept at a controlled temperature. Our finished products are also stored at a controlled temperature.
Fans of the can
A Premium EVOO such as La Cultivada must have Premium packaging. We are fans of the can since we consider it to be the container that best conserves the organoleptic qualities of our juices: aroma and flavour. Our cans are lined with a special food-grade coating that prevents the oil from coming into contact with the metal. It is a high-quality lining that does not contain bisphenol A (BPA-Free).
We recommend storing cans of La Cultivada in a cool, dry place away from sources of heat.
LA CULTIVADA IS A NATURAL JUICE OF OLIVES
On the path to Biodynamic farming
As the saying goes, “Matter is never without Spirit. Spirit is never without Matter.”
La Cultivada’s origins lie in soil which is completely free from pollutants. Biodynamic agriculture teaches us how to go further still, enhancing the fertility of the soil and harmonising the Estate. True to our conviction that good organic matter will produce fruit of greater vitality, we apply compost and biodynamic preparations on the land. Our farm work is carried out according to a calendar that sets out cosmic rhythms for us, and we interconnect plants, the soil, animals and human processes in order to achieve a balanced system.
Should any diseases appear, they are treated with homeopathic preparations.
EVOO Tasting process
Following the production process involving solely mechanical means and cold temperatures, La Cultivada is classified as Extra Virgin Olive Oil: an irreproachable juice. The next step is the sensory analysis, otherwise known as the tasting process, which will provide us with pointers to the juice’s character and personality. In this sense, the attributes of the oil – its fruitiness, aroma, flavour and aftertaste – are key. The receptacle used for tasting is wider at the base and narrower at the top in order to concentrate the aromatic components. The juice is kept at 28ºC, the temperature at which these compounds evaporate. The official tasting glass is blue which prevents the taster being influenced by the oil’s colour since this is not a determining factor as regards the quality of the oil.