Suerte Alta Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Picual)
This Picual EVOO is produced in an olive grove that is between 10 and 40 years old. This first plantation of olive trees in Suerte Alta was undertaken 100 years ago.
The current owner, Manuel Heredia Halcón, continued the tradition with this new intensive plantation of picual trees.
The characteristic of this EVOO is its high content of polyphenols, reaching in years of drought the 1400 mg/kg. This is a variety endemic of the Denomination of Origin Baena, one of the oldest denominations of origin of Spain.
Our Picual has a medium bitterness and pungent attributes with hints of almonds, tomato and citrus.
About the producer
Cortijo de Suerte Alta is a family estate located on the right margin of the Guadajoz river, near the small village of Albendín, township of Baena, in the province of Córdoba, in the heart of Andalucía, to the South of Spain.
In 1924 the Marquis of Bedmar set on foot the conversion of a previous “dehesa” and cereal land into olive groves. The trees were planted every 13m, with three trunks each and arranged in triangles. This gives a density of 75 trees per hectare. The traditional varieties of the Baena region - picudos, hojiblancos and picuales - were intermingled to help with crosspollination and reduce “vecería”- a habit of producing good crops every two years-.The olives coming from the family estates were ground at two family mills, one of them was in Suerte Alta and the other one in nearby Cabra.
The present owner Manuel Heredia Halcón, Marquis of Prado, grandson of the abovementioned Marquis of Bedmar, runs the estate since 1986. The planting is concluded in a different more modern frame: the trees have only one stem and the planting frame is of 7m x 7m with an average density of 205 trees per hectare.
In 1996 Organic Farming is undertaken under control of the C.A.A.E.-Andalusian Council for Organic Farming- and an irrigation system is initiated.
Today the Cortijo de Suerte Alta estate comprises 255 hectares of olive groves, with an 80% of traditional, intermingled olive trees, and it yields an average of 250.000 Kg. of olive oil per year.
In 2006 the new mill is built next to the family house, in the heart of the estate. This enables Suerte Alta to round up the whole production cycle: from the olive trees to the bottling, and is one of the clues for an exclusive Extra Virgin olive oil based on three characteristics:ESTATE PRODUCED AND BOTTLED, ORGANIC, D.O. BAENA.
About the Mill
The mill has been designed by its owner, Manuel Heredia Halcón, who is a professional architect. It is an environmental building planned to preserve the energetic balance and to guarantee the oil´s conservation and stability in the cellar. The construction´s outline was designed to merge into the background and the family house. To achieve this the cellar was partially buried and the building was protected against the summer sun with pergolas, vegetation screens and photovoltaic modules. A double thermal walls system provided with automatic ventilation screens maintain a stable temperature inside of 23º C in summer without consuming energy. The boiler which provides heating and hot water for the mill uses the olive´s pit for fuel. As a whole, the energy generated by the photovoltaic modules plus the olive´s pit is equivalent to the energy consumed by the mill and the estate during the year. The process achieves power balance. The interior is lined entirely with stainless steel thermal panels and glass partitions to procure the desired thermos effect and to guarantee hygiene and cleanness.
Tasting Notes
Medium intensity with hints of chlorophylls, both of olive leaves and herbs. Harmonious to the palate and evolves towards ripe almonds.
Latest Awards
Latest 10 awards
1
Coupage Natural galardonado en Ecotrama 2023
Nuestro Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado con Medalla de Oro en Ecotrama 2023 el XXII Concurso ...2
Coupage Natural galardonado en BIOL 2023
Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado con Oro·Gold Medal en el 28th Biol International Prize ...3
Picual en Envero galardonado en Monocultivar Olive Oil 2023
Nuestro Picual en Envero ha sido galardonado en Monocultivar Olive Oil con Gold ...4
Coupage Natural galardonado en Armonia 2022
Nuestro Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado en los premios Armonia en Parma - Italia con Gran ...5
Coupage Natural galardonado en Olivinus Argentina 2022
Nuestro Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado con Gran Prestigio Oro en Olivinus Argentina ...6
Coupage Natural galardonado en TerraOlivo Israel 2022
Nuestro Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado en TerraOlivo 2022 con el galardón Grand ...7
Coupage Natural galardonado en Canada IOOC 2022
Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado con Gold·Oro en Canada International Olive Oil ...8
Coupage Natural galardonado en London IOOC 2022
Nuestro Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado en London IOOC 2022 con Gold Medal·Medalla de ...9
Coupage Natural galardonado en Masters of Olive Oil International Contest Montecarlo 2022
Nuestro Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado en Masters of Olive Oil Contest ...10
Coupage Natural galardonado en Oil China 2022
Nuestro Coupage Natural ha sido galardonado en el 17th China International Olive Oil Competition ...