Yecla Wine Route: Almazara Deortegas in Yecla

Organic extra virgen olive oil in Yecla

Although the name of Yecla is synonymous with wine, it is also the scene of significant olive oil production, and visitors to Yecla are strongly advised to make every effort to either visit the Deortega olive oil mill or sample this exceptional Organic Extra Virgen Olive Oil which is on sale in some of the Bodegas and widely served in restaurants throughout the municipality.

As anyone who pays a visit to this family run Almazara will rapidly learn, there’s olive oil and then there’s Ecological Extra Virgen Olive Oil and the two are as different as chalk and cheese.

Almazara Deortegas, is a family run business, with a 100% positive attitude towards sustainable agriculture and the environment, a philosophy which extends to every element of their production, and final product, the attention to detail and rigorous adhesion to environmental good practice feeding down into producing a product which is rapidly gathering a host of awards worldwide.

The rigorous attention to detail begins at the cultivation stage, with 40,000 trees split between two parcels in “Los Charquillos” and “Hoya Hermosa”. These are dry cultivated plots, which means non-irrigated. By allowing the trees to fruit naturally, the resulting olives, and subsequently the olive oil, is naturally produced, the olives are balanced and packed with natural flavour, and are not bloated with artificially induced water. This is a risky way to produce olives, as the trees and harvests are susceptible to climatic variations, and drought years can reduce yields substantially, but intensive care of the trees, careful pruning and care for the ground surrounding the trees helps to establish a healthy base from which to cultivate the crop.

Ecological agricultural practices prohibit the use of chemicals, so natural pest control methods are used and the trees are grown within environmentally protected areas.

This attention to detail continues as the crops approach maturity and a harvest day is selected for each parcel.

The olives must be at a half-green, half-purple blush stage, so that the flavour is at its most intense and are milled on the same day as they are picked, so that no intensity of flavour is lost.

Olives are harvested in small batches and processed in small batches, so that no damage is sustained between harvest and pressing, the olives are fresh and flavoursome and are not left to sit between the two processes taking place.

The milling process is a cold press method and the resulting oil is left to decant naturally, the result being an intensely flavoured organic Extra Virgen mono-variety oil.

Deortegas produces three distinct oils using three dramatically different olives; Arbequina, Picual and Cornicabra, and also produces a blended oil Coupage containing all three.

The dramatic differences between the three olive varieties is clearly demonstrated to visitors who participate in a blind tasting, which not only highlights the differences between these three distinctly different olives, but also explains the differences between other grades of oil, including the bulk oils sold in supermarkets.

Each of these three varieties is markedly different: 

Arbequina

The arbequina olive tree is a medium-sized, slow growing tree and maintains an upright structure, the young wood is very green, and the tree produces fruit from a young age. It’s very tolerant of a range of climatic conditions, drought and frost, as well as different soil types. Olives of this variety are small and oval, with a delicate violet blush when ripe and have a concentrated flavour which varies depending on the location, water availability, soil type and climate.

The flavour of arbequina depends on the point at which it is harvested; the early harvest yielding a fruity green oil, while the olives harvested at perfect maturity have a high fat content, around 20.5%, and produce a fresh, smooth, fruity oil with delicate notes of almond or fruit and a sweet slightly peppery bite.

This is a  rounded, balanced oil which is perfect with a green salad, or one containing tomatoes or onion, yet also complements cheese and nut salads perfectly well. Drizzled onto bread, smeared with tomatoes, and topped with Queso fresco it needs no other accompaniment and is perfect for grilled vegetables or rice dishes.

This oil is equally good with white fish, such as hake or sole, as well as white meats such as chicken, smooth in the mouth, sweet, yet full of a buttery flavour.

Arbequina has a shorter shelf life than other varieties of olive oils and is at its best within a year of harvesting.

This oil is high in Vitamin E.

Picual

Picual is a vigorous olive, and is highly productive, adapting well to varied soil conditions, but although it is tolerant of frost has less resistance to drought. However, it is the most important single variety in Spain, accounting for 50% of olive groves in Spain and 20% worldwide.

It has a high fatty acid composition, which can reach up to 27%, and contains a high level of natural antioxidants. Its high content of monounsaturated oleic acid, important to avoid cardiovascular diseases, and its low content of linoleic acid, as well as its high content of polyphenols, make it the most stable oil in the world, with a long shelf life and it performs excellently when heated for cooking.

However, used as a table oil it is distinctive and full of character, with a robust and intense flavour which enhances Mediterranean cuisine.

Picual conjures up green tomatoes and fresh green almonds, Mediterranean hillsides, a woody, yet alluring smell of crushed Mediterranean aromatics. It is smooth, yet with a hint of spice and a slight edge which makes its flavour more intense and dramatic. It tastes, as strange as it may sound, exactly how an almazara olive mill smells when this olive is being milled and an external door is opened into a room heavy with the piquant smell of freshly crushed piqual flesh. The air tastes of this oil, and this intense smell remains in its oil.

This taste and smell marry perfectly with tomatoes, with thyme and rosemary, with salads containing any type of pickled vegetable or an element of vinegar, its fresh flavour balances oily fish, or smoked fish, and tuna, cod, garlic prawns or any denser fleshed fish are lifelong partners of piqual oil.

It is a good oil to use for any type of deep frying, to sauté ingredients, and is a good base for cooking soups or stews.

It also keeps well and maintains its intensity for a longer period once a bottle has been opened.

Cornicabra

The Cornicabra olive tree is gaining ground in Spain as it tolerates a wide range of conditions, coping with both drought and frost. For this reason it is now the second most widely cultivated variety throughout Spain and the third largest in terms of olive production.

The olive produced has a distinctive horn-like shape, hence its name, corno meaning horn and the olive becomes a strong violet colour when ripe.

Its fatty acid composition is lower than some other varieties, typically yielding around 19%, and the oil is stable and long-lasting.

This is another very distinctive oil with totally different characteristics to the picual and the arbequina. This oil is smooth, buttery, and sweet on the lips, but leaves a warm peppery sensation in its wake and a strong backbite of crushed olive leaves and green freshness.

For some reason, this oil is fabulous with eggs, and is the preferred choice for tortillas, for warm scrambled eggs (revueltos) so popular in Spanish cooking, which can incorporate acelga, spinach, courgettes, mushrooms or shavings of earthy truffles. It’s an excellent oil to use when frying, or as a base for stews and hearty soups and is an all-round good oil for cooking.

Its suave and smooth flavour also allows it to complement dense fish such as salmon or cod.

Deortegas has been particularly successful with its Cornicabra, winning several major prizes in olive oil competitions worldwide;

Terraolivo 2016 Israel: Gold medal for Deortegas Cornicabra

Olive Japan 2016: Gold medal for Deortegas Cornicabra

Ecotrana 2016 ; Silver medal for Deortegas Cornicabra

Visitors to the Almazara can purchase oils in 500ml or 250 ml bottles as well as 3 and 5 litre bulk cans. Gift boxes are also available, again reflecting the Deortegas philosophy, made locally in collaboration with a scheme to find work for those with disabilities and using sustainable materials.

Products can be purchased on-line, but order early or late in the week as the company won´t despatch products on a Friday, removing the unnecessary unsettling of the oil by being left in uncontrolled transport warehouse or on lorries with no temperature regulation, over the weekend.

Visits to Deortegas

Visitors are welcomed on tours of the Deortegas Almazara.

During the visit the whole process of olive oil production is discussed, from the olive tree to the finished product. The tour shows machinery used to produce the oil, discusses the cultivation of, and differences between, the trees grown.

During an introductory course to olive oil tasting, you will learn its origins, history and curiosities and Deortegas also discuss its nutritional aspects, exploring its health benefits, quality classifications, culinary uses and the horrors of what actually goes into supermarket “olive oils”.

Finally visitors are guided through a blind tasting and a healthy breakfast with the Deortegas organic extra virgin olive oils accompanied by good country bread.

All visits must be arranged in advance as the tasting room only has limited capacity and English speaking staff must be booked.

Visits to Deortegas cost 8 euros, and include olive oil tasting and bread, and visitors can buy directly from the Almazara.

A minimum group size of 6-8 people is required for a visit and space in the tasting room is limited to around 15 people. During the warmer months it is possible to accommodate larger groups outside.

If smaller groups would like to visit, contact Deortegas regardless, and the visit can be combined with other smaller groups or a larger group.

Deortegas is part of the Rutas del Vino de Yecla, or Yecla wine route, and can be visited in conjunction with one of the wine Bodegas, accommodation or restaurants which are participants in the Rutas del Vino de Yecla.Click for further details: Rutas del Vino de Yecla

Contact details for Deortegas

Address: Carretera de Pinoso, Camino del Ardal, km. 5 Paraje Pinillos, 30510 Yecla (Murcia) Spain

Tel: +34 968 969 644

Web: www.deortegas.com

E-mail: info@deortegas.com (general information)