Willow Creek Directors’ Reserve

Extra Virgin Alliance

Authenticity Willow Creek Directors’ Reserve
Harvest: 2013 www.willowcreek.co.za

Intensity

An invariably robust oil which will appeal to any olive oil connoisseur.

Complex aromas of tomato vines and artichokes are followed by nuances of rocket, salad herbs and a pleasant lingering nuttiness. The satisfying bitterness and tingling pungency provide structure to the oil without overpowering the flavor.

Suggested Uses:
Willow Creek Directors’ Reserve complements red meat, hearty soups, pasta with porcini, carpaccio, or salads with rocket, matured cheese and nuts.

Cultivar(s):
Coratina, Frontoio

Location of Orchard:
Willow Creek Olive Estate, Nuy Valley, Worcester, Western Cape, South Africa

Milling:
Hammer mill

International accolades bear testimony to its ultra-premium quality – including the Trophy as the Winner of the Intense Category in the prestigious L’Orciolo d’Oro Olive Oil Competition in Italy, and various Gold Medals at the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.

Here at Willow Creek Olive Estate we celebrate all that is ‘olive’, reveling in our quest to produce world class delicacies from this multi-faceted fruit.
Our Staff

Willow Creek Estate lies in the Nuy Valley in the Western Cape of South Africa. Overlooked by the Rabie Mountain which forms part of the Langeberg Mountain range, the farm has been in the Rabie family since the late 1700s when it was first cultivated by Johannes Stephanus Rabie. His descendant, Andries Rabie, planted the first olive trees in 1999 and in 2002 the first oil was pressed.

Today Willow Creek Estate comprises 260 hectares, planted with 200,000 olive trees.

An impressive track record of awards and accolades, both local and international, attests to the quality, consistency and appeal of the renowned Willow Creek range of extra virgin olive oils. For us, however, the best prize of all is sharing our passion with olive oil lovers around the world.

The terroir of the Nuy Valley is perfectly suited to the cultivation of premium quality olives. The average yearly rainfall of 200mm is supplemented by irrigation and the area’s lime rich soil and Mediterranean climate further combine to produce oils which are exceptionally complex and robust, yet well balanced.

Andies Rabie

Although many other olive growers plant their trees in areas where little else grows, we provide our trees with the best soil possible. This approach has produced outstanding results, judging from the fantastic flavor profiles and unsurpassed quality of our olives.

In an effort to further uplift workers who live on the farm permanently, a section of the farm has been sold to them. With Willow Creek Managing Director, Andries Rabie, as their mentor, they are coached in various aspects of management – from the physical farming activities right through to financial management.

"We want our clients to have a really extraordinary experience when using our products - both in terms of quality and superior taste and in terms of modern efficiency,"
- Andries Rabie Managing Director of Willow Creek