Aceite Lasolana2

La Solana 2

La Solana2 is a small family business dedicated to the production of organic extra virgin olive oil in Oria, in the province of Almeria. The project is specifically carried out at Cortijo La Solana, within the Campo Cisnares area, where the family owns a small olive grove that serves as the true origin and reason for the brand's existence.

Behind the project is a family closely linked to this land. Cristóbal Sánchez Arán, a native of Oria, launched La Solana2 as a way to recover and add value to the countryside where he was raised and where his parents had lived. From this family connection, a small-scale project was born that decided to commit to a completely different model than that of large farms: low production, organic cultivation, and the practically individual care of each tree.

La Solana2 operates as a small family farm where the owners participate directly in the work required to produce the oil. The goal is to maintain control from the cultivation and care of the olive trees to the harvest, storage, and commercialization of the final product. The family itself summarizes this philosophy with a very simple idea: bringing the product directly from the field to the consumer's home.

Unlike other brands, La Solana2 does not have its own oil mill. Its specialization is primarily in the cultivation and selection of its olives, while the milling is carried out at the facilities of Oro del Desierto, an Almerian oil mill also specialized in organic production. This model allows the family to focus on a very small and unique olive grove, producing a limited and numbered edition of organic Picual EVOO.

An organic extra virgin olive oil made exclusively from Picual olives

The production at La Solana2 revolves around a single variety: Picual. All of their extra virgin olive oil is monovarietal and comes from olives grown in their own organic olive grove. The choice of this variety is particularly interesting given the estate's extreme conditions, as the Picual has proven to be well-adapted to the climate and high altitude of Campo Cisnares.

The harvest takes place while the fruit is still green and at its optimal point of ripeness, prioritizing quality and aromatic intensity over higher oil yield. Due to the low temperatures and climatic characteristics of the area, the olive trees bloom and their olives ripen later than in many other Spanish producing regions, meaning the harvest typically takes place between mid-October and early November.

The family pays close attention to the condition of the fruit during the harvest. Olives that have fallen to the ground are discarded, and only fruit taken directly from the tree is used. Traditionally, much of this selection and harvesting has been carried out with special care to avoid damage and ensure that the olives reach the production stage while retaining their natural characteristics.

Following the harvest, the olives are quickly transported to the Oro del Desierto mill, where extraction is carried out via two-phase cold centrifugation, keeping the temperature below 22 ºC. The goal is to minimize oxidation and preserve the aromas, flavors, and natural compounds present in the olive.

The result is an organic Picual with a distinct personality and an intensely vegetal profile. On the nose, it evokes freshly cut green grass, olive leaf, tomato plant, and fig tree, while on the palate, notes of artichoke, green almond, tomato, banana, and apple can be perceived. Due to the small size of the olive grove and its specific production method, La Solana2 markets its EVOO in limited, numbered editions.

1,097 olive trees at an altitude of 1,100 meters in Campo Cisnares

The true differentiator of La Solana2 lies in its estate. Its small olive grove consists of 1,097 olive trees distributed over approximately five hectares, located in Campo Cisnares, in Oria, at about 1,100 meters above sea level. This altitude makes La Solana2 a very unique project within the Spanish olive-growing landscape, forcing the olive trees to develop under considerably more demanding conditions than usual.

The olive grove is located on a high plateau situated between the Sierra de las Estancias and the Sierra de María, in an area where other crops, such as almonds, have traditionally had a significant presence. The farm itself is practically an exception in its immediate surroundings, precisely because the climate of the high plateau does not, a priori, present the easiest conditions for cultivating olive trees.

The trees must face a climate marked by cold and relatively dry winters, while during the summer there is a notable contrast between high daytime temperatures and significantly cooler nights. These thermal differences, combined with the altitude, cause the vegetative cycle to be different from that of other olive-growing territories, leading to later flowering and ripening.

The farm is certified organic and also operates according to regenerative agriculture principles, seeking to conserve the soil and maintain the natural balance of an especially demanding environment. The small size of the estate also allows for very close monitoring of the trees and for agricultural work to be adapted to the specific needs of the olive grove.

It is precisely this combination of 1,100 meters of altitude, extreme climate, organic production, small area, and the Picual variety that constitutes the essence of La Solana2. In contrast to the vast, continuous olive landscapes of other Spanish regions, here we find just five hectares and a little over a thousand trees growing practically in isolation on the Almerian high plateau. A small family olive grove whose territory and particular climatic conditions are ultimately reflected directly in the personality of its oil.