CThese are the 15 rarest bottles of olive oil in the world. » Frédéric Cros proudly shows the case containing the new yellow gold from Soyaux. The town councilor is at the origin of an amazing idea: to make a 100% Soljadician olive oil with olives from the gardens of his friends and neighbours.
“For once…
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CThese are the 15 rarest bottles of olive oil in the world. » Frédéric Cros proudly shows the case containing the new yellow gold from Soyaux. The town councilor is at the origin of an amazing idea: to make a 100% Soljadician olive oil with olives from the gardens of his friends and neighbours.
“For once, we do something with our olives”, enthuses Nicole Berthier, one of the co-operators of this adventure. Ordinarily, “we leave them on the ground”. It was when he saw the fruits of these olive trees rotting on the ground that Frédéric Cros began to wonder about the production of olive oil.
A unique adventure and a nice nod to Soyaux. Proof that the Charente climate is favorable to the cultivation of olives.
“I didn’t know anything about the process”, says the new producer. He discovers that he must “7 kilos for a litre. Having only one olive tree, I told myself that it was going to be complicated. We had to regroup. » He therefore proposes the idea to his friends and neighbors whom he has no trouble convincing.
55 pounds of olives
The band makes its first harvest in August 2021: “55 kilos of untreated olives, picked by hand. We also recovered those from the olive trees in the Jaufertie park in Soyaux that we were authorized to pick up. » The hardest part was getting them “ripe at the same time. We had to wait for them to turn black. But we all have trees of different sizes and species”, reveals Christine Dalla Valle, happy contributor.
For the pressing, the team finds the Moulin du Puits Salé in Saint-Martin-de-Ré (17). The harvest is delivered there in November. The olives are pressed and bottled immediately. Three weeks later, harvesters and amateur producers are notified that the oil is in bottles.
“I was proud when I went to get the box on the island, does not hide Frédéric Cros. The mill provided us with the bottles that they corked on site. » The band had asked Charentais comic strip author Audrey Sedano for the label. “It cost us a total of 9 euros”, notes Frédéric Cros.
“Sweet and fruity”
“The result is elegant”, judge the producers. White glass, with a cork stopper colored with garnet wax, all surrounded by a light string. The bottle bears the “Appellation d’origine de Soyaux” logo. No question of marketing. The product of this harvest is intended for their everyday consumption.
At the beginning of January, the time had come to taste. “The bottles rested for a month on the advice of the owner of the mill, tonight is the moment of truth”, explains the band, torn between impatience and concern. “We don’t know what taste we’re going to discover. We are afraid of finding bitterness. » Verdict on the slice of bread: “Sweet and fruity! », they congratulate each other, surprised at the quality.
Beyond the originality of this pure local product, it is above all “a beautiful story, a unique adventure and a nice nod to Soyaux. The proof that the Charente climate is favorable to the cultivation of olives », says the group, which intends to continue production. “The door is open to those who want to join us. We are even thinking about making apple juice. »
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