From the Luberon to Hyères, five addresses in the wake of olive oil in Provence

The wildest: the Bastide du Laval

A path climbs through oaks and pines. We access a promontory with a striking view of the Luberon, this wide mountainous ridge that bars the horizon to the north. Around us, the olive trees marry the hillsides of a wooded hill teeming with fragrant broom and honeysuckle. We are at Bastide du Laval, in Cadenet, a small organic estate (15 hectares) planted in the late 1990s by the Coupat family.

" In the Luberon, the climate is cold, with large thermal amplitudes ," explains Roland Coupat. The trees produce little but offer us the quintessence of their fruits.  »Demonstration during the tasting in the large building bathed in light which houses the mill and the shop, at the foot of the hills. The olive tree introduces us to the different fruity notes. The fruity green with its aromas of artichoke and cut grass, always more spicy; the ripe fruity, all round and the old-fashioned fruity, with tapenade accents. We find the oil of La Bastide du Laval at the table of the Élysée.

Bastide du Laval , 199 chemin de la Royère, 84160 Cadenet. Tel: 04 90 08 95 80.
Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tasting and free visit of the olive grove and the mill with audio guide and detailed map all year round.
Guided tours from Monday to Saturday, from April to mid-September, at 10:30 am, for groups of at least 10 people (free).

The most pictorial: the Castelas estate

The oil from the Castelas des Baux-de-Provence estate has a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Press photo

The sculptural silhouette of the Château des Baux-de-Provence stands out at the top of a limestone spur. At the heart of the Alpilles, the Castelas estate reigns over nearly 9,000 trees from which a nectar recognized by the prestigious PDO Vallée des Baux-de-Provence is extracted. " The silver olive trees, the cypresses, the petrified waves of the hills ... We are in a Van Gogh painting " enthuses Emilie Hugues, looking at the family estate which has hoisted its juices among the best vintages of olive oil French in recent years.

Twigs symbols of fidelity and immortality for weddings, peace ... Emilie brings out the traditions attached to the millennial tree as we walk between the foliage. The tasting takes place in the shade of holm oaks quivering under the effect of the wind. We discover character juices, some aromatic. Latest addition: Apicius oil, scented with plants and inspired by a Roman recipe. The ancient site of Glanum is a few kilometers away…

Domaine Moulin Castelas , Fréchier district, 13520 Les Baux-de-Provence. Tel: 04 90 54 50 86.
Open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekends and holidays). Guided tour of the olive grove and the mill, with tasting, every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 am, from May to September (free). Visit the mill and tasting all year round (except during harvest for the mill).

Read also: From the Luberon to the Alpilles, our best tables in the Provence region

The most educational: Château Virant

Not far from Aix-en-Provence, Château Virant's mission is to promote olive growing, in particular with a museum on the precious nectar. Press photo

Do not rely on the large stone cellar of the 19th century which sits in the middle of the vineyards north of the Etang de Berre. The Château Virant wine and olive-growing area has a state-of-the-art mill producing 250,000 liters of oil per year which makes the producers of the region swoon. This large installation offers an educational tour complete with a museum where you can admire the tools formerly used in orchards.

The Virant rock, a beautiful limestone tooth clinging to a hill, watches over the domain to which it gave its name. It is the final stage of the walk in the olive grove where the gaze is lost between the rows of grassy trees, tortuous trunks in majesty. In the Cheylan family since 1974, the estate collects medals. Christine Cheylan assembles the oils and has become the ambassador for Provencal green gold. She signed a comic book and a cookbook on olive oil and even imagined candied olive caramels.

Château Virant , D10 - 13680 Lançon-Provence. Tel: 04 90 42 44 47.
Open every day from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1.45 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. (open at 8.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays). Free and free visit of the estate and the mill all year round, including during the harvest.
Guided tours for a minimum of 15 people. Price: 10 €.

The most pagnolesque: the La Michelle estate

In addition to the olive grove, the La Michelle estate also has a vineyard. Press photo

The terraces garnished with olive trees immediately flatter the eye. The dry stone walls sculpt the Michelle estate, leaning against a hill of Auriol, in the Huveaune valley. A typically Mediterranean landscape, between the Garlaban by Marcel Pagnol and the Sainte-Baume massif. The Margiers also work the grapes. The embroidery of meadow green vines at the foot of the terraces plays the stooges.

" With these two activities, we perpetuate the history of my family's farm, " explain Jean-François Margier and his son Robin, deeply attached to the profession of the land. And show us an old wheat threshing floor, near the olive trees. A hundred caper plants are also their pride. An alley of glorious Aleppo pines leads us to a hillock with the oldest terraces in the area, those of a Roman military oppidum! The walk ends in the cellar to savor the organic oils of the estate.

Domaine La Michelle , 1091 chemin de la Michelle, 13390 Auriol. Tel: 04 42 04 74 09.
Guided tour of the estate with tasting: every Friday at 9:30 am in July and August.

The mill and the shop (located in an activity area, a few kilometers from the estate) are open all year, Monday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wind turbine roundabout - 13390 Auriol.

The most astonishing: the Jasson domain

The Domaine du Jasson specializes in agrulive, an oil prepared from olives and citrus fruits. Press photo

The chefs love citrus , this aromatic oil obtained after crushing olives and citrus fruits. It is the specialty of the Jasson estate which grows in a greenhouse, on the slopes of the Massif des Maures, near Hyères, around twenty varieties of citrus, from combava to citron with Buddha's hand, from mandarin to lemon with caviar. The olive grove flirts with the forest of pines, holm oaks and cork oaks.

The walk around the orchards looks like a short hike. On this acid and glowing ground, pitted with heather, cistus and strawberry trees, a heady scent of scrub accompanies the visitors. An unobstructed view of the sea suggests the islands of Porquerolles and Port-Cros. Anne and Philippe Carra always conclude the discovery of the estate with a stage and an enlightened explanation in the citrus greenhouse where their father once cultivated strelitzias. The tasting of the scented oils then takes on another flavor.

Domaine du Jasson, 680 RD 88 - 83250 La Londe-les-Maures. Tel: 04 94 66 90 26.
Open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in summer (closed at 6 p.m. and Saturday afternoon in winter). Guided tour of the estate and the mill all year round, Thursday at 9:30 am (except during harvest). Price: € 3. Reservation with the Londe-les-Maures tourist office on 04 94 01 53 10 - www.mpmtourisme.com (suspended during the health crisis). A la carte tours, for a group of 10 people. minimum, with prior reservation at the domain.

TRAVELOGUE

The Fontenille estate, country house converted into a luxury hotel. Press photo

GO

By car or train. In the latter case, arrive at Aix-en-Provence-TGV or Marseille, the stations of which have car rental agencies.

WHEN TO GO

In spring to contemplate the awakening of nature or in autumn, at the time of harvest (October-November), when the olive trees are loaded with fleshy fruits. Please note, during the olivades, certain areas do not welcome visitors. The trip is of course possible in summer but the temperatures climb quickly. Plan your visits early in the day.

OR SLEEP

The Domaine de Fontenille

In the heart of the Luberon and a vineyard, this large country house converted into a luxury hotel offers 19 rooms and suites. Decoration of character, contemporary with a subtle touch of classicism. Alongside the centuries-old cedars, large plane trees give off their shade and the charm of Provence. From € 235 per night in a double room with breakfast.

Route de Roquefraiche - 84360 Lauris. Phone. : 04 13 98 00 00.

www.domainedefontenille.com

Good addresses

Moulin Saint-Michel

For those who want to admire an old-fashioned mill, with granite millstones and wooden arm presses. A modern workshop also grinds olives from harvesters in the region. The shop offers tastings and Provençal products.

Free or commented visit.

30 cours Paul Revoil 13890 Mouriès. Phone. : 04 90 47 50 40.

www.moulinsaintmichel.net

An olive in Provence

Jean-Baptiste Quenin, the son of a miller in the Alpilles, and his wife Annabel have created a range of cosmetic products based on oil, flowers or olive leaves with many virtues. To be discovered in the boutique in the village of Maussane or in the spa of the Baumanière hotel in Les Baux-de-Provence.

80, avenue de la Vallée des Baux. 13520 Maussane-les-Alpilles. Phone. : 04 90 49 00 36.

www.uneoliveenprovence.com