Domaine d'Estoublon, castle life in Provence

Flashback: it is November and, in the South-East of France, it is the season for harvesting olives, olivades. Because it is in autumn that this little fruit which rhymes with sun and summer recipes reaches maturity. At the Château d'Estoublon, different varieties of olive trees grow on around a hundred hectares. In total, more than 200 tonnes of olives are harvested there each year – it takes 6 or 7 kg to obtain 1 liter of oil. Like grape varieties for wine, each fruit, and therefore each monovarietal oil, has its own specificities: Grossane is round and sweet, with notes of almond and cut grass, while Picholine, small but strong , turns out to be fiery and peppery.

At the Estoublon estate, a rare enough occurrence to be mentioned, the manufacturing process takes place on site from A to Z. Less than 24 hours after harvest, the olives pass through the leaf stripper and washer. Then comes crushing, during which the entire fruit, including the stone, is crushed. The olive paste thus obtained is then kneaded at 25 degrees for around thirty minutes: this is the famous cold extraction. Then the centrifuge finishes separating the water and oil, the last step before bottling.

Provence à la carte

Olive oil and wines (including the prized Roseblood rosé) are not the only treasures of the estate. La Table d'Estoublon, where chef Emmanuel De Oliveira has been working since January 2023, is also worth the detour.
In its elegant vaulted room, it welcomes local gourmets and those passing through all year round. Provençal inspirations and local products are of course placed at the center of the plate.

At the Estoublon estate, the manufacturing process takes place on site from A to Z.

Lamb from the Alpilles, Mediterranean fish delivered every day by an independent fish merchant…, without forgetting an adjoining permaculture vegetable garden: in winter, 70% of the vegetables used in cooking (fennel, beets, parsnips, etc.) grew on the estate, and 40 % in summer (peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, etc.). It's simple, taking a quick look at the menu, you can already hear the song of the cicadas: grilled rock octopus, barigoule artichokes, white asparagus from Provence… Of course, there is oil olive in all recipes! Originally from Paris, Emmanuel De Oliveira studied at the Martinez and the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, but he learned to master all the subtleties when he arrived at the château. “With its hint of bitterness, Béruguette goes very well with artichokes,” he says as a ray of winter sunshine shines on the terrace. Picholine, slightly more acidic, is perfect with tomatoes or on grilled fish. » Here are some of his tips for using it correctly: “Do not store the oil next to a heat source. Store it in a cupboard away from light if the bottle is not opaque. Do not heat it above 110 degrees because it then loses its taste and antioxidant properties. The simplest thing is to use grapeseed oil for cooking, and to keep the olive for seasoning and the final touch of a dish. » Or how to finish in style!

Domaine d’Estoublon
Maussane road
13990 Fontvieille
(04 90 54 64 00).

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