Olive Oil

[Axel P]

Comparative Tasting Small02.jpg (87.92 KiB) Viewed 46831 times

I did a small comparative tasting with some known brands of portuguese olive oil. The result is rather not surprising as the olive oils are equal in quality of the Douro DOCs/ Ports that these producers made (I guess most of the readers do know what I mean).

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

Axel,

This is a subject of great interest to me and I will be very interested in learning the results of your comparative tasting. I have never tasted several olive oils side-by-side like this.

Personally, I think my favourite is the Vargellas olive oil, but the Vesuvio oil is also very light and fragrant. Noval I enjoy, but find it heavier and denser. I've never had the chance to try Carvalhas or Crasto.

Alex

[jdaw1]

Please do report back.

[RAYC]

Personally, I think my favourite is the Vargellas olive oil,

but which vintage....?!

[SCP-DFF]

Yes, I would love to know the results of this tasting. Olive oil is one of my favourite condiments. I pour it on nearly everything. It's delicious! Also, it's hard to find great quality. They say the acidity of the oil is most important to determine taste and overall quality. I don't buy olive oil that has a acidity above .3%. The best are under .1%. But those are very hard to find. Also very expensive.

Can we have an olive oil tasting and then enjoy some with yummy salad? We can serve port with the main meal! And with dessert!

-SCP-DFF (AKA Mrs Wiseman)

[PhilW]

yummy salad?

Surely there should be a penalty for such profanity? Although perhaps even more worryingly, ...

Olive oil is one of my favourite condiments. I pour it on nearly everything.

if there is a slight sheen to Julian at the next tasting...

[Axel P]

Since I am definitely no experts on olive oil I did many comparisons over the last couple of weeks. No ratings, just some impressions from me and many other guests that I did this with:

The least of the four was the Carvalhas with very little intensity and a rather one-dimensional tate.

Crasto is a elegant, very harmonic olive oil, whereas the Noval is a quite big and intense oil with a very long lasting aftertaste. The Vargellas is a good mixture of the last two, having quite some intensity, but not as big as the Noval.

Axel

[mosesbotbol]

Portal's olive oil is just out of this world.

[RonnieRoots]

For me, the best olive oil producer in the Douro is CARM. They have a long history of making great oil and press and bottle the oils from almost every quality quinta in the region. If you're in the region, a visit to their mill is well worth the effort.

[DaveRL]

We tasted the current batch of QdNoval extra virgin olive oil against EV oils that I happened to have in from Sainsbury, Filippo Berio and a Spanish oil that came free with a ham, Alhema D Queiles. The Noval is big, grassy, nice acidity, lovely long finish. The AdQ slighlty less grassy, but a little sweeter and fruitier and again a long finish. FB not so intense, grassy, quite short but nice finish which then turns unpleasantly acrid. The Sainsbury similar to the FB but with a much nastier acrid finish. QdN OOTN (Oil Of The Night), with the AdQ a close second. I was thoroughly discouraged from ever buying cheap Extra Virgin Olive Oil ever again - shouldn't cook with it with the lower smoke point (and horrid taste), and will only spoil a tomato (for those of us that venture to the dark side and dare to eat salad or vegetables). The Noval is a very lovely oil, and will be enjoyed.

[JacobH]

With apologies for reviving an old thread, I was wondering if anyone else would like to discuss the Douro olive oils some more?

Is the Vargellas still produced? I haven’t see that for years either here on in the Douro.

We’ve just received a bottle from Quinta do Convento de São Pedro das Águias which looks rather promising in that it includes a very large amount of technical data on the back and a very short best before date which suggests they are taking it rather seriously.

I would also welcome any recommendations. I struggle finding olive oils to my tastes since I like them to be tear-inducingly peppery but it seems consumer tastes have moved away from that these days and what something a little less assertive.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I’m still regularly using the Noval olive oil and have already placed an order for the 2020 vintage.

My taste in oil is quite different from yours. I like grassy, fruity oil so the ones which immediately come to mind are probably not oils you would choose. Vargellas still make olive oil and I’ve seen it occasionally, I’ve also seen Malvedos, Quinta Ataide, Quevedo, and a whole host of independent producers.

I’ll keep an eye out over the next 6-12 months and try to remember to post a list of what I see.

[JacobH]

Thanks. Do post any reviews. I will try to do likewise. It would be nice to build up a bit of a database!

Incidentally, I can highly recommend “Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil” by Tom Mueller for anyone interested in the olive oil industry. It, unsurprisingly, points out that there is loads of legal and illegal sharp practices (mostly involving trying to turn oils and olives from less prestigious countries into Italian ones) but also that there has been a concerted effort by the oil industry to suggest that the desirable flavour profiles are smooth and mellow which used to be associated with cheaper or out-of-date oils.

[JacobH]

The Quinta do Convento de São Pedro das Águias olive oil is quite light and floral with gentle acidity. I think I would describe it as reasonably grassy but with only a touch of fruit. Not quite to my tastes but worth trying if your tastes differ.

[JacobH]

I’ve just found out that there is a Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Virgin Olive Oil Competition each year.

The 2020 results have recently been announced.

It’s clearly a serious business with four categories: ripe; light green; medium green; and intense green.

The names which I recognise as being either Port or Douro wine quintas which won awards are:

Ripe: Gold: Quinta do Portal; Silver: Quinta da Pacheca; Bronze: Quibnta da Corte
Light Green: Gold: Quinta do Crasto; Quinta do Arnozelo; Silver: Quinta do Javali; Bronze: Quinta do Ventozelo; Quinta dos Malvedos; Hornourable Mention: Quinta do Vale Meão.
Medium Green: Gold: Quinta de Porrais; Quinta do Ataíde; Silver: Quinta do Pessegueiro.

I have probably missed some!

[Alex Bridgeman]

I've just been advised that the 2020 harvest of Noval olive oil is going to be shipped to the UK in the next month or two.

If anyone would like any, please let me know. It's the same price as last year (£10 for a 50cl bottle). Depending on where you are and how quickly you need your oil I may be able to deliver it to your location of choice or I might need to send it to you through the post (and ask you to cover the cost!).

[winesecretary]

Yes please x 2

[JacobH]

Yes, please. Just one bottle, if that's ok. No urgency for delivery. I don't think I have any bank details for you any more so if you could ping them (or Paypal etc.) at an appropriate moment I would be grateful.

[benread]

I've just been advised that the 2020 harvest of Noval olive oil is going to be shipped to the UK in the next month or two.

If anyone would like any, please let me know. It's the same price as last year (£10 for a 50cl bottle). Depending on where you are and how quickly you need your oil I may be able to deliver it to your location of choice or I might need to send it to you through the post (and ask you to cover the cost!).

That sounds like it may just be here in time for Christmas! Could I have 6 bottles please. They make good gifts!

[Doggett]

Yes please... just the one for me if possible. Many thanks.

[flash_uk]

Could I get a dozen please?

[PhilW]

I'd love another 6 bottles please if you have enough to spare. No rush at all.

[slateshalehead]

Any chance of a Noval oil shipment to the US?

[Glenn E.]

Any chance of a Noval oil shipment to the US?

It's not Quinta do Noval olive oil, but you can order Quinta dos Malvedos olive oil from Vintage and Fine Wines (which is the Symingtons' website in the US).

[Alex Bridgeman]

Any chance of a Noval oil shipment to the US?

Sadly not through me.

I’ll get back to the guys at Noval and see how many bottles I can get on this shipment.

[JacobH]

Looks like Niepoort is going to make some olive oil, too. Could be quite interesting!