This year´s entries for the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the Jaén Seleccion choice for the harvest 2022/2023 have produced some outstanding oils. The panel of tasters once again have been blind tasting every oil submitted.
Celebrating 20 years, the competition began in 2003, of the best Extra Virgin Olive Oils from Jaén province. It began to promote the excellence of the oils that Jaén produces. The province is the main producer with over 66 million olive trees within its borders.
This year saw slightly less oils presented with 71 oils – 19 of them being ecological oils, by 58 producers from 38 towns of Jaén province. The eight best extra virgin olive oils chosen for the Jáen Selección for 2023 are:
Oro Bailén Picual – Aceites Oro Bailén, Villanueva de la Reina
Dominus Cosecha Temprana – Aceites Monva, Mancha Real
Puerta de Las Villas – SCA San Vicente, Mogón
Oro de Cánava – SCA Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Jimena
Esencial Oliva – Oleícola San Francisco, Baeza
Pradolivo – Oleoperales SL, Baeza.
Señorió de Camarasa – SCA Santa Isabel, Torres
Supremo – Aceites Supremo, Jaén
Now I need to go and find these oils and do my own tasting. If you thinks that all EVOOs taste the same let me tell you, that is what I thought until moving to Jaén province. The early picked fruit, picked while still green, that is made into an early extra virigin gourmet olive oil – is more like juice than oil.It has a very short shelf life because it is not filtered, the amount produced isn´t very much, and so only gets sold locally. The extra virgin oils are each unique, like wine, each with its own colouring, nose and flavour.
The 2023 Jaén Selección can be bought online via Aceite de Jaén.