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Superb French Extra Virgin Oils: Moulin du Mas des Barres and
Château de Règne Iris When we speak about olive oil, France is rarely mentioned. Yet, there is an important production in the country, but it is of a very special oil, generally a light fruity oil. There are eight appellations of origin, two of the most important of which are Vallée Des Baux (created in 1997) and Aix-En-Provence (1999). Olive oil is produced in 11 of continental France’s départements and in Corsica. The most important ones are Alpes-Maritimes, Gard, and Bouches-du-Rhône. Moulin du Mas Des Barres is in the Vallée, a famous region in the Bouches-du-Rhône. The property’s mill has produced oil since 1720. Now a new Pieralisi extraction system, works the four typical varieties of the region: salonenque, béruguette, verdale de Fontvielle and grossa, with a small percent of the pollinators, picholine and cailletier. The result is a very pale green oil with a fresh aroma of cut green vegetables, light grassiness and a taste which is fresh, with a delicious delicate bitterness and pungency. Due to the modern, up-to-date extraction machinery, Mas des Barres is a revelation in really fine, light fruity olive oil. Mas des Barres is Provençal for the “farm of the shepherd huts (barres).” The oil is packed in 500ml tins and although the label states “first cold press” which is incorrect--it is extracted by centrifuge, not pressed--the term “vierge extra” is really correct. In fact in French, the term extra virgin is correctly stated since the extra is the modifier to virgin, showing that extra is a type of VIRGIN oil. What is important is the type, not the modifier. Château de Règne Iris forms part of the Cheylan family property of Ch. Virant, and is in the appellation Aix-En-Provence. Christine Cheylan, who directs the oil production at both properties is the head of the Olive d’Or tasting at France’s Sial food show in Paris. At Règne Iris, the olive grove is comprised 80% of two varieties, aglandau and salonenque, which is drip irrigated due to the dryness of its south facing, rapidly draining, calcareous clay soil. The property was hit very hard by the decimating freeze in 1956 and 3-4 trunk trees are the result of this. Fires are a constant problem. Harvest in this region begins at the end of October and continues through November. The mill works 24/7 during the harvest period. Règne Iris oil is slightly different from Mas des Barres. It is paler in color, with a more delicate fruitiness and more noticeable nut-like flavor, more typical of light fruity oils. This is probably the oil of choice for making aioli and for use with fish dishes and applications where a light flavor is desired. However, both oils represent the lovely face of French oil, in itself a very delicious category. Since it is hard to choose between them, try both.
Though I am not a great expert on caramels, I do think that the Béquet Caramels from Bozeman, Montana are some of the best on the market. They were suggested to Corti Brothers by a customer who had tasted them at a winery and thought we would be interested in stocking them. Were we ever! We stock both types of Béquet Caramels: soft and chewy. The soft are buttery-melt-in-your-mouth caramels; the chewy are rich with butter, cooked until a bit firmer with a chewy texture. Both are delicious; both are made with the same high quality ingredients–brown sugar, cream, butter, concentrated whole milk. They are packed in 4 ounce and 8 ounce gift bags, and tied with different colored bows. If you use the caramels within a reasonable period, say a month–if you can keep your hands off of them–store in the refrigerator for freshness. They are wonderful for unexpected guests, a simple dessert, and a delightful mid-morning pick me up.
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Corti Brothers
Sacramento CA
