There are many varieties of olive trees and, therefore, of EVOO. The variety of an oil gives it organoleptic characteristics that make it distinct from others.
KEY FACT
In Suerte Alta’s century-old olive grove, there are trees with three trunks, each of a different variety—the natural origin of the Natural Coupage.
Below, we review the four varieties produced by Cortijo de Suerte Alta: Picual, Arbequino, Picudo, and Hojiblanca.
Picual
The predominant variety on the planet and the peninsula. Its name comes from the shape of its olive, ending in a point (also called “Marteña”). High yield, herbaceous aromas, and a bitter tendency due to its high level of antioxidants, which gives it great stability. Early-harvest Picual has high fruity notes, green aromas of leaf and stem, and notes of green almond and tomato plant. Suerte Alta’s Picual comes from the traditional olive grove of Albendín, century-old trees planted at 13×13 meters, early harvest.
Arbequina
The most widely cultivated variety in Catalonia, named after the town of Arbeca. Small size with a large pit (not suitable as a table olive). Predominantly fruity, with notes of banana and apple and a very sweet entry. Our Arbequino (bottled as Marqués de Prado) comes from the super-intensive rainfed organic olive grove of the El Cañuelo estate in Mairena del Alcor, Seville.
Hojiblanco
A tree with elongated leaves with silvery tones on the underside, hence its name (also “Lucentino,” after Lucena). Rounded olive, suitable for both table and oil. Early harvest, very high green fruity notes with notes of field herbs, artichoke, and nettle, and a very intense spiciness that rises from throat to palate.
Picudo or Carrasqueño
A rustic, slow-growing tree, native to the Cordoban Subbética, characteristic of the Baena and Priego PDOs. Large olive with a pointed shape. Herbaceous variety, with aromas of grass and green apple, sweet entry, and moderate spiciness in the throat.
Natural Coupage from Cortijo de Suerte Alta
A coupage is an EVOO composed of several varieties that give it complexity and harmony. Ours comes from our oldest olive grove (about 100 years old, planted at 13×13 meters, 70 trees per hectare) with Picudo, Picual, and Hojiblanca naturally intermingled. It is not a blend made at the mill. The poor, calcareous soils of Baena, with scarce rainfall and extreme temperatures (from -10°C in winter to 45°C in summer), led olive growers to plant mixed varieties to ensure production against occasional frosts or heat.
On the palate, the smooth, sweet entry comes from Picudo (with a touch of green apple), followed by the moderate bitterness and tomato plant notes of Picual, the green notes of Hojiblanca and its characteristic spiciness, which rises from throat to mouth like black pepper minutes later. A complex oil, with a long finish, spicy and with notes of green almond.
Frequently Asked Questions About EVOO Varieties
Picudo, Picual, and Hojiblanca, naturally intermingled in the olive grove itself.
An EVOO composed of several varieties, either blended at the mill or from an olive grove with intermingled varieties.
To ensure production: if one variety was affected by a frost or occasional heat, the others, with different cycles, were not harmed.
It is its other common name, typical of the Cordoban Subbética and the Baena and Priego de Córdoba PDOs.
