Aceite Hacienda Queiles

Queiles Estate

Hacienda Queiles is a Navarrese olive mill located in Monteagudo, in the Queiles Valley, in the south of Navarre and very close to Moncayo. The project was born in 1998 with a very clear objective: to produce top-quality organic extra virgin olive oils from olives sourced from a single estate, directly controlling cultivation and production. Since then, Hacienda Queiles has accumulated more than 25 years of experience and has become one of the most recognized premium EVOO producers in Navarre.

Although the modern project began at the end of the 20th century, the relationship of these lands with the olive tree is much older. The Queiles Valley has been linked to the cultivation of olives and vines since the time of the Roman Empire, and during the Middle Ages, these crops continued to form an important part of the area's agricultural economy. The current Hacienda Queiles estate is also situated on lands historically related to the Monastery of Tulebras, founded in the 12th century and considered the first female abbey of the Cistercian Order in Spain.

Hacienda Queiles has built its identity around the concept of "Aceite de Pago" (Single-Estate Oil), seeking for its EVOOs to be a direct expression of a specific estate, its soils, its climate, and the varieties grown there. The olive mill is located within the estate itself, which allows for complete control from the tree to the bottle. Its oils have received numerous national and international awards, making references such as Abbae de Queiles the main exponent of this philosophy.

Arbequina and Arróniz: two varieties cultivated and produced on the estate itself

Hacienda Queiles works primarily with two olive varieties: Arbequina and Arróniz. The former allows for the production of elegant, aromatic, and balanced oils, while the Arróniz holds special significance as an indigenous variety of Navarre, perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions of this area of the Ebro Valley.

One of its most iconic oils is Abbae de Queiles, a monovarietal made exclusively from organic Arbequina olives sourced from the estate itself. Alongside it is Alhema de Queiles, for which the mill combines approximately 85% Arbequina with 15% Arróniz, achieving an oil with greater structure and intensity. The house also produces Ánfora de Queiles Arróniz, giving individual prominence to this Navarrese variety.

Production follows 100% organic farming principles, without the use of synthetic chemicals. The harvest is early and takes place mainly between late October and mid-November, when the olives reach the stage of veraison that Hacienda Queiles considers appropriate for obtaining fresh, fragrant oils with high aromatic richness.

Speed is essential during production. Once harvested, the olives are transported in small crates to the mill located within the estate itself, preventing the weight of the fruit from causing damage or promoting oxidation. The maximum time established between harvesting and milling is approximately two hours.

Once at the mill, the olives go through the different stages of selection, cleaning, milling, malaxation, and oil separation, maintaining strict control over the entire process. This proximity between the olive grove and the mill allows Hacienda Queiles to work with extremely fresh fruit and preserve a large portion of the natural aromas and antioxidants present in the freshly harvested olive.

An ecological payment between the Queiles Valley and Moncayo

The territory is one of the essential elements for understanding Hacienda Queiles. Its olive grove is located in the Queiles Valley, in the south of Navarre, in a landscape crossed by the river of the same name and situated very close to Moncayo. The estate has around 60 hectares of olive groves, conceived since their planting under an organic farming model and intended to produce the Arbequina and Arróniz olives used by the estate's own mill.

The natural conditions of this area are very unique. The olive groves are subject to an extreme continental climate, characterized by significant temperature contrasts, while the trees develop on terrain of Quaternary origin and stony, calcareous soils. These conditions, combined with the northern location of Navarre on the Spanish olive-growing map, provide an environment very different from that of the large producing areas in the south of the peninsula.

The plantation uses an approximate 7 x 5 meter layout, providing enough space between the trees to favor their exposure to sunlight and ventilation. Hacienda Queiles also maintains ground cover, which helps to enrich and protect the soil, while pruning is used to control the tree's development and favor proper ripening of the olives.

The setting also has an important historical and landscape dimension. The Queiles River runs through a territory marked for centuries by different agricultural cultures and by the presence of Cistercian monasteries such as Tulebras, Fitero, and Veruela. Indeed, the lands on which Hacienda Queiles is located were historically related to the Monastery of Tulebras, reinforcing the connection between the current olive grove and centuries of agricultural tradition.

This combination of extreme climate, stony soils, organic farming, varieties adapted to the territory, and a mill located within the estate itself defines the philosophy of Hacienda Queiles. The goal is not only to produce extra virgin olive oil, but to ensure that each harvest is able to express the particularities of this small olive-growing territory located in the south of Navarre.