Huile d'olive de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence

Extra virgin olive oil produced within a delimited zone of the Vallée des Baux, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France. The specification recognises two distinct styles: a standard oil and an "olives maturées" variant. Both must be sourced from at least two of four principal cultivars native to the area, and all operations from olive growing to oil extraction must take place within the defined geographical area.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0050, with EU protection dating from 31 August 1999, and recorded in eAmbrosia under identifier EUGI00000013447. The applicant body is the Syndicat AOP Huile d'olive et Olives de la Vallée des Baux-de-Provence (SIOVB), based in Les Baux-de-Provence, comprising approximately 1,100 operators including olive growers, olive processors, and mill operators. The geographical area falls within the massif des Alpilles and its surroundings in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, encompassing three communes included in their entirety — Les Baux-de-Provence, Maussane-les-Alpilles, and Paradou — and fourteen communes included in part. The oil must derive from at least two of the following four varieties: Salonenque, Aglandau, Grossane, and Verdale des Bouches-du-Rhône, which together must represent 80 to 100 % of the varieties present in the producing parcels. The variety Picholine and other local varieties may complement this composition. The standard oil must present bitterness no greater than 3 and ardence between 1 and 3 on the International Olive Council organoleptic scale, with oleic acid content not exceeding 0.8 grams per 100 grams. The "olives maturées" variant must present bitterness no greater than 1 and ardence no greater than 2, with oleic acid content not exceeding 1.5 grams per 100 grams. For both oils, the peroxide index at first commercialisation must not exceed 16 milliequivalents of peroxidic oxygen per kilogram of olive oil. Labelling must carry the protected name, the designation "appellation d'origine protégée" or "AOP", and, where applicable, the mention "olives maturées" in characters at least half the size of those used for the protected name.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0050; EU protection dates from 31 August 1999 (eAmbrosia: EUGI00000013447).
• The four principal permitted cultivars — Salonenque, Aglandau, Grossane, and Verdale des Bouches-du-Rhône — must together represent 80 to 100 % of varieties in producing parcels.
• The specification recognises a distinct "olives maturées" style with its own separate oleic acid and organoleptic thresholds, differentiated on the label.
• All operations from olive production to oil extraction must be carried out within the delimited geographical area; no stage may take place outside it.

Tasting notes

Provençal EVOO from Vallée des Baux (Bouches-du-Rhône), distinctive olive selections including the rare "olive maturée" (slightly fermented black olive paste-like style). Two styles: standard fruité vert (green-fruity) and unique fruité noir (black-fruity, fermented with characteristic tapenade-cocoa-mushroom notes — a distinctive AOP feature).

HoReCa use

Premium Provençal finishing oil; black-fruity style drizzled on roasted lamb and game; green-fruity on fresh tomatoes, ratatouille, tapenade.

Packaging

• glass-bottle-250ml
• glass-bottle-500ml
• glass-bottle-750ml
• tin-3L

Seasonality