Discovering Bastide du Laval an Organic Olive Oil Mill.

The Bastide du Laval lies outside the village of Cadenet in the southern part of the Luberon, in the heart of Provence. Cadenet is a village with much medieval history. Serene and authentic, this estate has seen a few changes. Back in the last century, it was a vineyard and then a farm, but as demand for Vin de Table declined and olive oil grew, the owners, Carine and Roland, turned over half of the 30 hectares to olives between 1998 and 2000.

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Bastide du Laval

Now, the estate has over 4000 olive trees. Five varieties of olives are grown on the estate, and they produce very aromatic oils. Bastide du Laval olive oils have been awarded numerous prizes in competitions in France and abroad. Thanks to Destination Luberon, our visit has been arranged so that we can experience and taste organic olive oil production in the region.

Our visit

We start with a guided tour, during which we will learn more about Bastide du Laval’s history and production process. Our Guide, Johana, speaks great English and gives us a good insight into the passion behind this family-owned working olive oil mill.

Chicken amongst the Olive Trees at Bastide du Laval

Organic Olive Production

The estate is organic and operates in line with the principles of the Appellation d’Origine Protegee for olive oils of Provence and ECOCERT.

Harvesting the Olives

We were amazed to learn that it’s back to basics for the harvest, done by hand using nets. The only concession to technology is using what looks like an adapted hedge trimmer (called a harvester comb), which knocks the olives off the trees into the waiting nets below.

In contrast, the mill is an impressive piece of Italian machinery that does the rest…. separation, de-piping, squeezing, and collecting.

Olive oil mill production at Bastide du Laval

The whole harvest – which takes place between October and early December, depending on the weather – is pressed in just a few days. One of the advantages of coming out of season is that we can get close to the mill machinery.

The estate also presses for neighbours and other olive producers, so there’s your opportunity to produce your own oil if you have masses of olive trees in the garden.

Production timelines

One of the big advantages of olive oil production is that unlike wine, which often involves months of storage, the oil is packaged and ready for sale immediately.

Bastide du Laval Organic Olive Oil Discovery tasting

Olive Oil Tasting

A free tasting of the estate’s oils and wines is offered, and we are not backward to embrace the little cube of bread on a cocktail stick dipped into the delicious oils for a tasting. Gluten-free biscuits are on offer for those in need. We had no idea there could be this many different tastes of pure olive oil.

Bastide du Laval produces 12 different oils: six pure oils and six with added flavours (basil, lemon, truffle, herbes de Provence, pepper, and garlic). The pure oils depend on when the olives are harvested (green is early, black is later) and are blends of different varieties.

The oils’ names often speak for themselves: Intense, Ardence, Origine, Creation, Subtile, and Tradition. The tasting notes offer suggestions for food pairings.

We had fun choosing olive oil presents for family members according to their culinary tastes. Origine was our favourite. I wonder which one you will like?

Visiting Bastide du Laval

The mill, visitors’ centre, and shop are housed in a delightful old farm in the middle of the estate. You could easily spend a couple of hours here for the full immersive learning experience.

Guided Tours

Guided tours of the mill are available during the summer (April to the beginning of September) and are followed by a tasting.

Olive Grove Walks & Picnics

Bastide du Laval invites you to walk in their olive grove. Look out for the route through the olive grove, which is well signposted.

For €25 per person on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, you can pre-order a picnic hamper full of local produce to enjoy in the olive grove while enjoying the views over the Luberon massif.

This is my tip for the best picnic spot in the area!

Olive Oil Courses

The estate also offers combined courses on olive oil – see the website for details.

The Boutique

The well-stocked shop offers many shopping opportunities, including oils, wines, deli items, spices, hand-made soaps, and lovely local Provence gifts.

The details

Address: Bastide du Laval: 199 Chemin de la Royère 84160 – Cadenet

Website: https://www.bastidedulaval.com

Final thoughts

Compared to Spain, Greece, and Italy, France is still a very small producer of olive oil (perhaps 2% of global production). Still, you get a strong feeling that, with the likes of Bastide du Laval leading the way, this little shoot will grow and flourish into a strong, healthy, and vibrant tree.

Thank you to the team at Bastide du Laval. We loved discovering all about your olive oils. The smart black tin of Bastide du Laval olive oil back home makes me smile every time I use it. If you are in the area, drop by and tell them a little bird sent you!