REPORT: French Olive Oils, June 28th 19h00 Paris

[BradenP]

We tried 8 French olive oils. I will list the 8 and give my tasting notes for each, then let the others chime in with their notes.

(1) Chateau de Montfrin (14€): Smooth, soft and warm. The oil lasted on the tongue but never turned bitter.

(2) Moulin a Huile Paradis (negrette) (13€): I listed this one has having a sharp green unpleasant bite.

(3) Moulin de L'Olivette (12€): I tasted a floral dusty bite, somewhat like the taste of the inside of a flower.

(4) Domaine de Marquiliani (21€): Mild and smooth up front with a spicy garlic finish.

(5) Huile d'olive de Nyons (26) Tache (15€): Very green with hints of fresh olive. Clean taste like it had been stored in steel.

(6) Moulin Jean Marie Cornille (17€): Zesty and bitter with hints of lemon rind.

(7) Chateau Virant (12€): Super smooth with almost zero bitter finish.

(8) J. Leblanc (15€): Pine and bark hints with mildly bitter taste and lasting mild finish.

In these olive oils, I found myself leaning towards the milder ones in the batch. My favorites were (7) Chateau Virant (12€) and (1) Chateau de Montfrin (14€). The Corsican olive oil (4) Domaine de Marquiliani (21€) I also liked, but more for it's uniqueness than for something I would use on a day-to-day basis.

Edited July 2, 2007 by BradenP (log)

[Gabrielle Claudine]

My notes:

(1) Chateau de Montfrin: full, rich, strong.

(2) Moulin a Huile Paradis: pale and light, not intense.

(3) Moulin de L'Olivette: has some zip

(4) Domaine de Marquiliani: bland

(5) Huile d'olive de Nyons: nondescript

(6) Moulin Jean Marie Cornille: very flavorful, cloudy.

(7) Chateau Virant: more like #1 - intense.

(8) J Leblanc has zip

I voted first for (7) the Chateau Virant (I bought this at Bon Marche because it was from Aix and I didn't think anyone else was bringing something from Aix.)

[John Talbott]

First off thanks to Braden and Laura for hosting this and other tastings; you've enriched Paris:

My tasting notes are as follows:

(1) Chateau de Montfrin: light, Provence-like.

(2) Moulin a Huile Paradis: Most like Greek/Spanish olive oils that I love with rough dishes.

(3) Moulin de L'Olivette: So light I cannot taste it.

(4) Domaine de Marquiliani: cannot tell, but I'm a geezer.

(5) Huile d'olive de Nyons: light.

(6) Moulin Jean Marie Cornille: like #1.

(7) Chateau Virant: Lighter, but aftertaste of pepper kicks in.

(8) J. Leblanc: very light.

My top pick was (7) the Chateau Virant, that my wonderful wife bought but I tasted blind so I cannot even claim familial influence.