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

(2022/C 478/10)

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 3 months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Aceite de Madrid’

EU No: PDO-ES-02812 – 12.11.2021

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1. Name(s)

‘Aceite de Madrid’

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

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

Extra virgin olive oil made from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.) exclusively by mechanical means.

The olives are picked directly from the tree when their degree of ripeness is at a maximum of 4.

Physical and chemical characteristics:

— Acidity (expressed as oleic acid) ≤ 0,5 %

— Peroxide value ≤ 14 mEq O2/kg

— Ultraviolet absorbency: K270 ≤ 0,18 and K232 ≤ 2,00

— Total polyphenols: minimum 300 mg/kg

— Total pigments: minimum 10 mg/kg

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

Organoleptic characteristics:

Organoleptic analysis of ‘Aceite de Madrid’ requires a sensory profile with moderate to high intensities and the presence of at least 3 descriptors, direct or retronasal olfactory aromas, to be eligible for certification. The main aromas are of olives, almonds, grass, leaves, apple, tomato and banana.

The organoleptic profile also includes hints of healthy and fresh olives and fruit and a balanced presence of bitter and pungent attributes with a minimum intensity of 2 and not exceeding the fruitiness by more than 2 points.

Median fruitiness Mf ≥ 3,5 Median bitterness Greater than 2 Median pungency Greater than 2 Balancing The median scores for the positive attributes of bitterness and pungency are a maximum of two points higher than the median for fruitiness.

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

‘Aceite de Madrid’ is a multivarietal extra virgin olive oil made from olives of the following recognised varieties:

— Majority varieties: Cornicabra, Castellana and Manzanilla Cacereña, which must account for at least 80 % of the olive groves identified in the geographical description. The extra virgin olive oil is made from at least two of these majority varieties.

— Minority native varieties: Carrasqueña, Gordal, Asperilla, and Redondilla. These minority varieties must not together account for more than 20 % of the extra virgin olive oil.

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

All of the steps in production must take place within the confines of the geographical area defined in point 4.

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

With a view to preserving the specified characteristics of the certified extra virgin olive oil, the packaging process must take place in the defined geographical area for the PDO.

This will allow for full control over the production process and guarantee that the final stage is handled by the district’s experienced producers. The local producers clearly have a better understanding of how their extra virgin olive oils respond to the various steps involved in the packaging process, such as the decanting times and methods, use of filters, filter materials, packaging temperatures, how the oil reacts to cold and storage.

Proper filtration ensures adequate presentation of the product marketed to consumers and guarantees optimal conservation conditions. While respecting the product’s distinctive properties, filtration removes dissolved solids and moisture that would otherwise lead to improper use and the need for decanting, which would give rise to anaerobic fermentation of carbohydrates and proteins.

The ultimate aim is to preserve the typical characteristics of the product until the final stage of shipping.

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

The labels on the packaging of the certified extra virgin olive oils must feature the words ‘Aceite de Madrid’, ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida’ or ‘D.O.P’ prominently over any other information on the labels. They must also include the EU logo for PDOs and may optionally feature the conformity mark issued by the product certification body that belongs to the inspection body.

A numbered secondary label issued by the managing body, based on the reports issued by the certification body, shall guarantee that the extra virgin olive oils bearing the designation of origin meet the requirements set out in the specification.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area

The production area is located in the south-east of the Madrid region, between the valleys of the rivers Tagus, Jarama, Henares and Tajuña.

List of municipalities:

Alcalá de Henares, Ambite, Anchuelo, Aranjuez, Arganda del Rey, Belmonte de Tajo, Brea de Tajo, Campo Real, Carabaña, Colmenar de Oreja, Corpa, Chinchón, Estremera, Fuentidueña de Tajo, Loeches, Mejorada del Campo, Morata de Tajuña, Nuevo Baztán, Olmeda de las Fuentes, Orusco, Perales de Tajuña, Pezuela de las Torres, Pozuelo del Rey, Santorcaz, Los Santos de la Humosa, Tielmes, Titulcia, Torres de la Alameda, Valdaracete, Valdelaguna, Valdilecha, Valverde de Alcalá, Velilla de San Antonio, Villaconejos, Villalbilla, Villamanrique de Tajo, Villar del Olmo and Villarejo de Salvanés.

5. Link with the geographical area

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area

Natural factors

The production area for the extra virgin olive oils covered by the PDO is bounded by the hydrological network formed by the valleys of the rivers Tagus, Jarama, Henares and Tajuña in the south-east of the Madrid region.

In terms of physiographic features, the geographical area is what is referred to as a depression. The materials in the surface layer are essentially lagoonal chemical facies dating from the Miocene and Pliocene epochs (Tertiary period). Lower down, there are gypsum-bearing marls and gypsum deposits that give way to limestone on the elevated plains. It is the limestone, which is resistant to erosion, that has led to the formation of the elevated plain or mesa. The elevated plain is surrounded by areas of replacement cropland, where the leading features are the calcareous glacis and slopes of varying degrees of steepness where the upper structural surface comes into contact with a layer formed by softer materials (marls).

Most of the olive groves have been planted on the soils that have developed over the limestone and associated materials on the elevated plain, the majority at altitudes above 700 m.

As for the soils, the fact that they have developed over limestone and lime-gypsum sedimentary materials gives them a pH of 8-8,5, a base saturation of 100 %, textures ranging from loamy-sandy to loamy-clay-sandy and moderate to low effective depth.

The most distinctive feature of the soils in the geographical area is the presence of horizons enriched with calcium carbonate, which explains the clear predominance in the territory of soils with calcic diagnostic horizons, essentially belonging to the Calcixerepts group. There are different types of carbonate accumulation, often including the formation of petrocalcic horizons. In soils where these horizons are relatively close to the surface, they have often been fragmented by tillage. This allows the root systems of the olive trees to benefit from potentially suitable C horizons. However, horizontalisation of roots in contact with horizons that are very rich in calcium carbonate and not necessarily cemented is a widespread phenomenon.

The production area includes everything that can be classified as calcareous soils.

The average annual temperatures ranging between 12 oC and 14 oC are ideal for the development of olive groves, which need temperatures above 10 oC to thrive.

One parameter worth noting is the occurrence and frequency of frost during the dormancy period of the olive trees, with temperatures dropping to between -10 oC and -6 oC. Despite these extreme minimum temperatures, frost only occurs during the dormancy period, which is between December and March, and the trees can withstand them as long as there is enough moisture in the soil.

The average annual rainfall for the whole geographical area ranges between 300 and 450 mm. This is ideal for growing olive trees, which thrive in low humidity climates. The low rainfall reduces the incidence of diseases and pests associated with olive trees.

Another characteristic feature of the climate that is unique is the relative air humidity. For olive trees to grow properly, relative air humidity should be lower than 60 % and drop below 55 % during the flowering and ripening periods. Despite the area’s dry climate, the rivers that surround and pass through the geographical area (Tagus, Tajuña, Henares and Jarama) create favourable minimum air humidity conditions for the olive trees to develop properly.

The crops in the area receive more than 2 700 hours of sunshine per year, which is relatively high. This is also beneficial for the growth of the olive trees in all the phenological stages of development.

Human factors

The specificity of the geographical area linked to the human factors is evident in the olive-growing and oil extraction practices, which focus on respecting the original properties of the olives and ensuring that they are fully replicated in the certified extra virgin olive oils.

The olives are harvested directly from the trees when they have attained a maximum ripeness of 4, using methods that keep them intact. They are never picked up from the ground and any fallen olives must be kept separate from the healthy, fresh olives harvested from the trees.

The transport system used to take the olives to the mill must always ensure that they are not damaged or compromised en route. To avoid fusty/muddy sediment, the olives must not be piled up in any of the processing stages.

The temperature in the malaxation stage must not exceed 27 oC and extra virgin olive oil must be stored at temperatures ranging between 25 oC and 13 oC.

Although olive-growing had been practised in Madrid since Roman times, it was the arrival of the Arabs, who introduced new varieties and techniques and scaled up production, that boosted and consolidated the industry.

There is evidence of the Roman presence in the valleys of the rivers Tajuña, Jarama and Henares, showing that there were dwellings and crop and livestock farms in the most fertile areas. The archaeological evidence at the enclaves of Verdugal, Las Dehesas and Casa de Tacona, as well as other settlements, proves that olives were being grown and virgin olive oil being made in the area as early as the 3rd century A.D.

5.2. Specificity of the product

The olive varieties grown in the geographical area are Cornicabra, Castellana, Manzanilla Cacereña, Carrasqueña, Gordal, Asperilla and Redondilla, which have adapted to the soil, climate and growing conditions in the area. These varieties have been perpetuated over time due to natural selection, as they have adapted perfectly to the conditions in the district. This guarantees a multivarietal identity with distinctive, well-defined properties that are not found in any other olive-growing area in the world.

It is important to note that the geographical production area is a transition zone between areas where monovarietal production predominates. The olive production area is located between the monovarietal production area for the Cornicabra de Toledo variety (to the south) and the monovarietal production area for the Castellana variety in La Alcarria (to the east). There are also monovarietal groves of Manzanilla Cacereña, Carrasqueña, Gordal, Asperilla and Redondilla.

This natural patchwork of majority and minority varieties allows for unique sensory profiles, which is another hallmark of the area.

Research has revealed high values for total pigment content, which is relevant in terms of antioxidant properties in the absence of light. The ranges and levels reported are distinctive according to specific scientific studies carried out in the production area.

The studies carried out to establish the characteristics of the olive groves and the extra virgin olive oil from the geographical area continue to reinforce the antioxidant properties of ‘Aceite de Madrid’, which requires a total polyphenol content of over 300 ppm at the time of extraction.

‘Aceite de Madrid’ has a complex organoleptic profile with moderate to high intensities and a minimum of three clearly discernible descriptors. The main aromas are of olives, almonds, grass, leaves, apple, tomato and banana. The organoleptic profile also includes hints of healthy and fresh olives and fruit and a balanced presence of bitter and pungent attributes.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the characteristics of the product

As explained in the section describing the physical environment, the soils in the geographical area are calcareous with a pH of between 8,0 and 8,5, a base saturation of 100 % and moderate to low effective depth. In combination with the climate conditions of low rainfall and the presence of frost, this forms a selective ecosystem. This is the reason why the recognised varieties have been perpetuated through natural selection, as they are perfectly adapted to the environment (Rallo et al, 2005). The result is an end product that is specific and differentiated from those of other olive-growing districts around the world.

The olive varieties that are present and have been recognised withstand the extreme temperature conditions with frost. These adapted varieties have high total polyphenol values in response to and as a result of the rigorous soil and climate conditions, the early selective harvesting periods and the unique multivarietal footprint.

The timing of the harvest indicated in the section describing the product, combined with the growing and oil extraction techniques, which include requirements such as immediate delivery of the olives to the mills as soon as they are harvested, low temperatures and short processing times, have directly led to unique total pigment content values. A score higher than 10 ppm is required for certification.

The rigorous soil and climate conditions, as described above, lead to specific periods of stress for the olive trees. This aspect, which has been documented in the scientific literature, generates a response in the plant that intensifies the sensory descriptors in the extra virgin olive oil (Civantos et al, 1999). This is noted in the specification, which requires clearly perceptible fruitiness with a score of at least 3,5 points for intensity.

The complex sensory profiles (minimum of three fruity descriptors) are directly linked to the multivarietal origins of ‘Aceite de Madrid’, as each variety contributes its own particular organoleptic descriptors. The unique climate conditions during the production process also have an influence, given the favourable minimum air humidity values due to the rivers mentioned in the section on the geographical area and the relatively high irradiation values in the area.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://www.comunidad.madrid/sites/default/files/doc/medio-ambiente/06_32pliegodecondiciones.pdf

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