An extremely smooth, creamy and buttery single estate oil from Alentejo in southern Portugal.
The oil is made from the indigenous and unique to Portugal, Cobrancosa olive, picked by hand early in the harvest (October 2012) and pressed within hours to give a delicious fresh fruit and tomato flavour with just a slight peppery kick.
The estate, Herdade dos cordeiros, or Farm of the little sheep ,is located at Montemor-o-novo. There are eighty hectares of mainly olive trees and to a much lesser extent cork trees in a most delightful setting around its own tranquil irrigation lake. The striking farmhouse is like one you would expect to find on a hacienda in Mexico and one almost expects Manolito from the High Chaparral to come galloping around the corner in a cloud of dust at any moment!
Marco Santos oversees the production of the oil on behalf of his wifes, father, Zulmiro, He scientifically selects each day of the harvest which trees should be picked on that day and then ensures the olives are pressed within hours of being picked at a temperature below 27 degrees, to produce a top quality oil with a very low acidity, never greater than 0.2%.
Although Marcos has only been involved with olive oil since meeting his wife to be, Otilia, fourteen years ago, he now radiates unbridled passion about anything to do with it. He also displays equal enthusiasm for Portuguese traditional cuisine. Indeed from both observation and our waistlines when visiting, we can definitely vouch that he is a bit of a gastronome!
Prior to becoming immersed in olive oil and food, Marcos was a residency DJ in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Seville and various other parts of Portugal and Spain before “getting a proper job”, as he says, as a Creative Director for Advertising Agencies in Lisbon, Madrid and London.
We think you will agree, creating wonderful olive oil is far more fulfilling, life enhancing, invigorating and let’s face it, useful than making boring TV ads!
And what’s more WE get to taste and enjoy it!
A LIGHT TO MID STRENGTH, CREAMY OIL WITH A LITTLE LINGERING PEPPER ON THE FINISH.