In its latest effort to encourage Spanish olive oil producers to strive for the highest quality, the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs presented three companies the “Best Olive Oil in Spain” award for the 2010 – 2011 campaign Wednesday in Córdoba.
The ceremony, attended by government officials, olive oil industry professionals and the press, coincided with the Beyond Extra Virgin conference. The judges for the awards consisted of the ministry’s own panel of experts.
In the category for “fruity bitter green oils” the jury decided to award the prize to Montes Manuel Marin, Priego de Córdoba (Córdoba) calling it “a very intense fruity oil of green olives, balanced, harmonious and complex. Between its constituent notes, mainly green, it shows apple, grass, almonds and cinnamon. The palate is very aromatic, with bitter almond of alloza and spicy medium to high intensity, all very balanced and persistent.”
Among “sweet green fruity oils” the prize went to Labrador, SAT, Fuente de Piedra (Málaga). Its oil was defined as “intense fruity, complex, green olive, herb, and tomato alloza. The palate is very aromatic, persistent and full bodied. Sweet entry, has a medium bitterness, somewhat spicy and nutty, all very balanced.” Labrador also won the Mario Solinas award a few weeks ago in the robust category.
For the “ripe fruity oils” the prize went to LA Canalejo, SL, Mérida (Badajoz). The jury found Canalejo “an intense fruity olive oil, mixed with green notes and ripe. Highlights of apple and tomato, herb and green almond with light intensity and with greater intensity in the notes of other ripe fruit and almonds, also mature. The palate entry is sweet, slightly bitter, somewhat spicy, very nutty and very well balanced.”
Finally, the ministry added a new category for extra virgin olive oils of organic production which went to Moli Dels Torms, SL, Els Torms (Lleida), whose oil was defined as “fruity green olive, complex with notes of apple, grass and green almond, somewhat ripe apple and very balanced. The palate entry is sweet, slightly bitter, somewhat spicy with almond.”
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