Bleu du Val d’Aillons

Made exclusively by the Val d’Aillons cheese dairy.

The Alps are the birthplace of many well-known cheeses, but rarer ones are also produced here. In Savoie, in the Massif des Bauges, we make this Bleu, which is far less famous than Termignon.

Made by the Val d’Aillons artisanal cheese dairy, this blue-veined cheese has been produced there for twenty years, and offers a gentler approach to this family of cheeses with a virile reputation.

Here’s a rather light blue, a small tomme weighing around 2.5 kg, with a whitish rind that turns granite with brown spots if left to mature for a few weeks. The paste is sown with penicilium roqueforti, and generally has a light, pale marbling, in fine, light shades of green and blue. The lovely cream underlines the whole, confirming a subtle, fine taste, more nutty, barely veiled by the fresh mushroom. However, a longer maturing period will give it a more undergrowth flavour, with humus and musky notes, all served by a tighter, less affritive paste. At this stage, it should be served with sweet wines, and enjoyed at the end of the platter.