Marqués de Griñón

In 1995/6, 100 hectares of semi-intensive olive groves (300 olive trees/ha) of the Arbequina and Picual varieties were planted with drip irrigation and in 2002 the first new generation oil mill was built, obtaining that same year the first harvest of Marqués de Griñón Oleum Artis- extra virgin olive oil.

The mill was built on the estate in order to obtain an oil of exceptional quality, controlling such important factors as the ideal time and technique for harvesting and the time the olives have to wait until they are crushed. Only in very controlled estates of limited size and with more than one variety is it possible to harvest the fruit at the right time. Harvesting is carried out using an innovative manual system, based on the use of vibrating combs which avoid bruising the olives and tree damage caused by some mechanical systems.

They are then immediately taken to the mill so that the olives do not undergo any oxidation. The mill is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including disc mills, vertical malaxers (mixers) equipped with a vacuum system and modern centrifuges. Their main advantage is that they allow fine adjustment of the extraction for each batch of olives, perfect control of temperature (around 22°C) and cleanliness (through automatic washing with pressurised water) as well as control of oxidation (by means of vacuum pumps). The olive oil is filtered which also removes all traces of water (another possible source of oxidation) and once obtained it is kept in stainless steel tanks where the oil is covered in inert nitrogen. The oil is bottled immediately before being marketed in order to reduce the time spent in the bottle.

Made with the Arbequina, Picual and Cornicabra varieties, this extra virgin olive oil has an intense golden yellow colour. Its aromas are exceptionally lively, with high aromatic intensity, reminiscent of green tomatoes, freshly cut grass, artichoke and almonds. These aromas reappear on the palate along with other more intense vegetal aromas with a moderately bitter finish. It has a long persistence that is dominated by a pleasant spiciness, thus revealing its high polyphenol content.