# C_2023227EN.01002401.xml

| 29.6.2023 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 227/24 |
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29.6.2023

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 227/24

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Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2023/C 227/12)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

’Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara'

EU No: PDO -ES-02828 — 3.2.2022

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) [of PDO or PGI]

’Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.5. Oils and fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.)

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

The product covered by this PDO is extra virgin olive oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) by mechanical or other physical means which do not alter the oil and which preserve the taste, aroma and characteristics of the fruit from which it is produced.

‘Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara’ oil can be monovarietal or multivarietal, obtained solely or mostly (≥75,00 %) from the main olive varieties in the district, i.e. Cornicabra, Manzanilla Cacereña and/or Picual.

To be eligible for certification, at least 75 % (≥75,00 %) of the composition of the oils must be from the main varieties (Cornicabra, Manzanilla Cacereña and/or Picual). Less than 25 % (<25,00 %) can be obtained from other varieties (Verdial de Badajoz, Arbequina and/or Morisca) grown in the areas included in the PDO.

Maximum parameters allowed for extra virgin olive oils with the ‘Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara’ designation of origin:

| Acidity ( %) | Not exceeding 0,6 % |
| --- | --- |
| Peroxide value (meq O2/kg) | Not exceeding 16 meq O2/kg |
| K232 | Maximum 2,20 |
| K270 | Not exceeding 0,20 |
| Sensory evaluation | |
| Median score for defects | Md=0 |
| Median score for fruitiness | Mf≥2,0 |

Acidity ( %)

Not exceeding 0,6 %

Peroxide value (meq O2/kg)

Not exceeding 16 meq O2/kg

K232

Maximum 2,20

K270

Not exceeding 0,20

Sensory evaluation

Median score for defects

Md=0

Median score for fruitiness

Mf≥2,0

Organoleptic tests on the product ‘Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara’ reveal a sensory profile featuring at least three descriptors, including both direct and indirect (retronasal) olfactory aromas, with the highlights being aromas of olives, herbs, olive leaves, apple and tomato. Its fruitiness intensity score is Mf ≥ 2,0. The median for bitterness and pungency are above 1,5 and below 4,5.

Monounsaturated fatty acid values are 75 % or higher, while polyunsaturated fatty acids are below 11 %.

Values not provided are necessarily within the legal limits, in accordance with the relevant EU legislation.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The olives must be produced in the area described in point 4.

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All steps in production must take place in the geographical area described in point 4.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

In order to preserve the typical characteristics of the product at all stages and ensure the quality of the oils covered by the designation, the packaging process must be carried out within the demarcated geographical area set out in point 4. In this way, the inspection bodies can have total control of the production and the final handling of the product remains in the hands of the area's producers. These are the people who know best how the oils produced in the district are affected by the various packaging processes, such as the typical decanting time and methods, the reaction to the cold typical of the district, and their optimal storage conditions. The goal is to remove possible suspended solids and moisture in a bid to shorten the decanting time and the loss of aromas due to intensive filtration. This method of ensuring that the oils are clear helps to reduce the loss in intensity of the positive attributes (bitterness and pungency), while also mitigating loss of quality risks. Failing to do so would mean sediments would form, leading to anaerobic fermentation and diminished sensory and nutritional qualities.

The oil may be packaged in all containers permitted by the applicable legislation with a capacity of 5 litres or less: glass containers, food-grade coated metal, PE, PET, vitrified ceramic, Tetra Brik, aluminium bags, etc.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

Besides the trade name, the labels on the oil containers must include the logo of the protected designation with the words ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida (or D.O.P.) Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara’ [Protected designation of origin (or PDO) ‘Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara’] and the conformity mark issued by the product certification body that belongs to the inspection body.

The product must also carry a conformity mark known as a secondary label, identified by an alphanumeric code, to be affixed by the packing plant in such a way that it cannot be reused and permitting traceability to be guaranteed.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The district of Villuercas Ibores Jara is located in the southeast of the province of Cáceres. It borders the province of Toledo to the west, the district of Campo Arañuelo to the north, Vegas Altas del Guadiana and La Siberia to the south, and Miajadas-Trujillo to the west. The district consists of three territories, Jara to the northeast, Los Ibores to the north-west and Villuercas. These three sub-units make up a distinct and physically homogeneous geographical unit as they form a perfectly defined mountainous range located between the Tagus and Guadiana rivers.

List of municipalities:

| | Aldeacentenera |
| --- | --- |

Aldeacentenera

| | Alía (comprising Guadisa, Puerto del Rey, Pantano de Cíjara and La Calera) |
| --- | --- |

Alía (comprising Guadisa, Puerto del Rey, Pantano de Cíjara and La Calera)

| | Berzocana |
| --- | --- |

Berzocana

| | Cabañas del Castillo (comprising Solana, Retamosa and Roturas) |
| --- | --- |

Cabañas del Castillo (comprising Solana, Retamosa and Roturas)

| | Campillo de Deleitosa |
| --- | --- |

Campillo de Deleitosa

| | Cañamero |
| --- | --- |

Cañamero

| | Carrascalejo |
| --- | --- |

Carrascalejo

| | Castañar de Ibor |
| --- | --- |

Castañar de Ibor

| | Deleitosa |
| --- | --- |

Deleitosa

| | Fresnedoso de Ibor |
| --- | --- |

Fresnedoso de Ibor

| | Garvín |
| --- | --- |

Garvín

| | Guadalupe |
| --- | --- |

Guadalupe

| | Logrosán |
| --- | --- |

Logrosán

| | Navalvillar de Ibor |
| --- | --- |

Navalvillar de Ibor

| | Navezuelas |
| --- | --- |

Navezuelas

| | Peraleda de San Román |
| --- | --- |

Peraleda de San Román

| | Robledollano |
| --- | --- |

Robledollano

| | Valdelacasa de Tajo |
| --- | --- |

Valdelacasa de Tajo

| | Villar del Pedroso (with Navatrasierra as a local authority of a lower level than a municipality) |
| --- | --- |

Villar del Pedroso (with Navatrasierra as a local authority of a lower level than a municipality)

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

Natural factors

Throughout its history, the district has endured isolation on account of its mountainous relief and its location outside the main communication routes, far removed from the main cities. Its natural and cultural heritage is therefore very well preserved. This is proven by the fact that genetic tests conducted on the main varieties of olive trees grown in Extremadura show that the Manzanilla Cacereña and Cornicabra varieties grown in Villuercas Ibores Jara are distinct from those grown in other olive-growing areas featuring the same varieties.

The agricultural land in the district is divided into smallholdings, with an average parcel size of less than 1,06 ha and olive trees over 50 years of age planted a foot apart in a wide layout (9x10). The olive growers’ skill in handling the crop is handed down from one generation to the next. The Manzanilla Cacereña and Cornicabra varieties have co-existed since ancient times, often within the same parcel, for the purpose of staggering the harvest and enabling different culinary purposes.

Ownership of the land is widely spread. This makes olive growing eminently social, with families doing all the farm work, particularly the harvest. The inhabitants of the district have also been consuming their own local olive oil for over 300 years. In the last century, as olive growing expanded into land previously used for vineyards and grain crops, the higher yields and population emigration led to more olive oil from Villuercas Ibores Jara being placed on the market.

In terms of relief, the area is made up of Appalachian-like folded landforms, unique in Spain, consisting of a succession of NW-SE oriented mountain ranges and valleys in parallel. This very ancient residual relief emerged and folded during the Palaeozoic Era and was eroded in subsequent periods, taking on its current appearance of imposingly high quartzite crests interspersed with deep slaty tilled valleys. The rich geology in the area caused the district to be declared a UNESCO Global Geopark on 17 September 2011.

The unique geology of the Villuercas Ibores Jara area has a major impact on how the landscape units are configured, as a result of the effects of the geomorphological processes on the geological substrate throughout its geological history.

The monthly change in temperatures in the district of Villuercas Ibores Jara varies depending on the locality, but normally ranges between 8,2 °C and 24,1 °C. Temperatures in the district are generally affected by its significant solar irradiation, with hot summers and mild winters. There are about 3 000 hours of sunshine per year. The mean temperature in the district ranges from a minimum of 6,3 oC in January to 25,7 oC in July.

The district is located in the area known as ‘humid Extremadura’, where precipitation is about 600-700 mm/year in the areas with lower slopes, rising to 700-850 mm/year in the Sierra de las Villuercas massif. It is important to note the difference between the various areas of the district, as the highest precipitation is recorded in the north-west and the lowest (400-600 mm) in the east.

Historical and human factors

Olive trees have featured in the landscape of the Villuercas Ibores Jara district for over six hundred years, as a staple crop grown both for table olives and for olive oil production. Olive plantations are at an all-time high in the district, covering 12 416 hectares, as land used in previous years for vines or grain is now being used for this more competitive crop.

These plantations have adapted since ancient times to the terrain in Villuercas Ibores Jara, in terms of parcel size, varieties cultivated and the mechanisation of cultivation practices. The ‘Libro de los Oficios del Monasterio de Guadalupe’ [Book of Occupations of the Monastery of Guadalupe], which describes the main types of work carried out in connection with the monastery’s activities at the turn of the 16th century, included recommendations on how to grow and process olives. These practices have continued up to modern times. The same can be said of the harvesting dates recommended for each variety, which take account of the fact that the olives ripen more slowly than in other olive-growing areas.

Similarly, the growing practices employed in the olive groves since ancient times have sought to adapt their growth to the soil, climate and terrain, while preventing pests and disease, easing the harvest process and ensuring that the olives ripen evenly. The olive trees usually have three or four main branches between 1.0 and 1.5 metres above the ground and at equal heights, followed by a few thick secondary branches. Foliage is scarce and not very dense, with a low crown volume. This is in order to ensure exposure to the sun’s rays, which facilities harvesting by hand, allowing for olives with a higher fat content and reducing the need for phytosanitary products.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

The olive oils produced in Villuercas Ibores Jara are essentially obtained from the Manzanilla Cacereña, Cornicabra and Picual varieties, which make up at least 75,00 % of the oil on an individual or blended basis. The Arbequina variety shall account for a maximum of 25,00 %, like other minority varieties (Morisca and Verdial de Badajoz) traditionally used in some localities in the district.

The link that is evident in the characteristics of olive oil from Villuercas Ibores Jara can also be perceived in its sensory properties. ‘Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara’ has a complex organoleptic profile, with at least three discernible descriptors in terms of fruitiness (usually fruity to green leaf olive, apple and tomato). Its fruitiness intensity score is Mf ≥ 2,0. The median for bitterness and pungency are above 1,5 and below 4,5.

The soil and climate conditions, which have also resulted in genetic differentiation from other areas, cause a physiological response in the olive trees, increasing the intensity of the sensory descriptors and the phenol and fatty acid composition as reported in the supporting study.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The interplay between the natural factors (soil and climate), the unique genetic profiles of the varieties nurtured by the selection of genetic material and vegetative propagation by our olive growers over the centuries and the olive grove management result in a distinctive product with distinguishable physical and chemical properties.

The thermal conditions also help to avoid plant health problems, at least to the same extent as in neighbouring districts, encouraging a slow ripening process that helps to ensure the good quality of the harvested olives. This allows for a very long harvest season between October and January, which means that olive growers and oil producers can plan the olive harvesting season.

The high oleic acid content reported in the supporting study shows that monovarietal oils made from the Manzanilla Cacereña and Cornicabra varieties in the Villuercas Ibores Jara district have a higher monounsaturated fatty acid content, specifically as regards the oleic / (palmitic + linoleic) ratio, than oils obtained from samples of olives of the same varieties taken in other localities where these varieties are typically grown.

In addition to this result, mention is also made of two independent R&D projects which analysed the composition of oils produced by the mills in the district in 2014-15 and the fatty acid composition of different oil mills in Villuercas Ibores Jara. These studies indicate that samples taken from the olive mills prove that the soil and climate conditions in the district result in a composition that differs from that of oils made from the same varieties in other nearby regions.

As regards the phenolic compounds, the shallow, acidic, poor soils with low water retention capacity in the area are conducive to the accumulation of phenols and volatile compounds in the olives. Another factor is the typical pruning method used, whereby leaves are thinned to give the fruit more exposure to sunlight, thus causing phenols to build up and resulting in a higher oleic acid content in the fruit. All of these factors combine to produce olive oil with a distinctive composition and sensory profile.

The ripeness of the olives when harvested, altitude, climate conditions, unique geology, olive grove management and optimal processing are the factors that affect the fatty acid composition of ‘Aceite Villuercas Ibores Jara’, determining a high proportion of oleic acid (in excess of 75.00 %) and a distinctive sensory profile (in terms of aroma, taste and tactile perception). All of these factors are inextricably linked to the expertise of the olive mills, as extracting the oil at low temperatures, keeping the percentage of water used in the process low and preserving the oils in suitable containers that are entirely inert, ensures that the organoleptic characteristics of the oils are protected and maintained.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.juntaex.es/documents/77055/621148/Pliego+condiciones+DOP+Aceite+Villuercas+Ibores+Jara.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

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