“An hour and a half after leaving the port of Monaco, here we are in Haut Var surrounded by olive trees for some guaranteed escapism”.

The members of the Bailliage of the Principality of Monaco, accompanied by their Bailli Délégué, Gérard Canarie, met up on February 12th at the Château de Taurenne, a celebrated olive-growing estate in Tourtour.

Renowned for the quality of its oil, the estate stretches over 253 hectares, 30 of which are planted with olive trees at the foot of a 12th century château.

The people in charge explained the different stages of the process involved in producing the “Or de Taurenne” oil, from planting the trees, harvesting the olives and pressing the different varieties, through to tasting the fruity, delicate, velvety and slightly spicy, peppery oil.

At 1pm, we were invited to continue the oil tasting at the Bastide de Tourtour, 3km away, right in the heart of Provence with panoramic views reaching out for 180km across the Massif des Maures.

The winter sunshine bathed this Sunday lunch, with preparations in the capable hands of Fabrice Lavergne. And it was well worth the trip! The Chef had spent the morning conjuring up some stunning dishes.

Scallops were enlivened by citrus oil from the Château de Taurenne, served with slivers of truffle, before a creamy truffle and parmesan risotto.

The cod roasted in Taurenne oil was a worthy prelude to a Brie that had been aged with truffles.

For the finale, caramelised pineapple rings were served before a lime sorbet.

A stunning climax to a lunch enjoyed by 80 members and friends before they returned home to Monaco.

Gérard Canarie
Bailli Délégué