Picual Olive Oil

Castillo de Canena Picual Olive Oil, robust and balanced

Picual olive oil from Castillo de Canena is a single-varietal oil made from olives harvested while still green on the tree. In the 2018 Mario Solinas Quality Award of the International Olive Council, it took first place among 189 oils from various countries in the intensely fruity category.

Picual olive oil is an extra virgin olive oil from the Andalusian region of Jaén, the heartland of this olive variety, bottled in a 500 ml bottle. Castillo de Canena produces and bottles it on the estate itself, handling everything from the harvest to the seal in one go.

Green tomato, fresh grass and a late sharpness

Castillo de Canena Picual olive oil smells of freshly cut grass, green tomato and tomato vines, accompanied by artichoke and a hint of green banana. Thyme and basil lie quietly underneath; you have to take a second sniff.

On the palate, the oil is initially soft and round, before the bitterness kicks in and the sharpness follows – that tickle in the throat which beginners mistake for a fault, and which comes from the polyphenols of an early-harvested oil. Both are clearly present without becoming harsh – achieving this balance is the art of a Picual.

The Picual is Spain's most widely grown olive, robust enough to stay fresh for longer.

Raw over bread, grilled vegetables and legumes

A robust oil needs robust company – ripe tomatoes with salt, a plate of chickpeas, grilled peppers; this Picual can be drizzled generously over all of them.

Raw is its stage. As a thread over a cold gazpacho, over warm lentils, over a salad, along with fleur de sel, a few flakes. This variety handles heat better than many more delicate oils, but this early-harvested one should only be added at the end.

If you would like to compare Andalusian oils, you can find an organic olive oil from Jaén in our shop; other olive oils from the south are available in our collection.

Two hours from tree to mill

Reserva Familiar, the family reserve – the best of every harvest, which has remained in the house for generations. This specific line is the Castillo de Canena Picual olive oil, and the producer calls it the hallmark of their house.

There are less than two hours between the tree and the mill of the family estate in Jaén; the olives are transported in small crates. Milling and kneading are done cold, at about 21 degrees and never over 22. These are the two details we ask about when considering an olive oil before we put it on our shelves.

Anyone harvesting green presses less oil from the same amount of fruit; the estate accounts for the loss because the early harvest produces a fresher, more herbaceous oil.

Two awards specifically for this olive oil

The family reserve doesn't stay entirely in the house; it also goes to the judges. In 2019, the Castillo de Canena Picual olive oil received a perfect score in the Flos Olei oil guide, one hundred out of one hundred – this guide does not award more. This rating and the International Olive Council prize can be found by year at castillodecanena.com/en/awards/.

An oil like this doesn't go into the cupboard; it sits next to the salt and bread and is always within reach when cooking.