Herve Mons has stepped back into the limelight as the affineur of the stellar 1924 Bleu, a blue cheese that's made with equal parts sheep and cow milk, but the true hero here is Francois Kerautret, the cheese marketer who created this charming treasure. He transitioned into a cheesemaker when he had the idea to take Roquefort back to its roots before it received the first ever appellation d'origine of any cheese in 1925 that required cheesemakers to use only sheep's milk and to make and age Roquefort using specific guidelines. Kerautret wanted to go back to using a mixture of milk instead of purely sheep's milk for his version of blue cheese. After a few years of urging, Kerautret persuaded Mons to work with him on a prototype, and, not long after, 1924 Bleu was born. If Roquefort is the bold king and Bleu D'Auvergne is the calmer prince, then 1924 Bleu is the beautiful and lively duchess in the royal blue cheese family.
1924 Bleu is rich and creamy.
There are a lot of blue-green veins in this cheese.
Aged in Herve Mons' caves near Roanne, almost 400 miles from Roquefort, 1924 Bleu develops a natural rind that has a nice aroma of the country. The aging process continues when the wheels are sent to the United States, and they end up being about four or five months old once the consumer digs into the wonderful, extra creamy interior. The rind adds to the overall woody, earthy, mushrooomy flavor, but the first thing you will notice is a quick burst of salt and a spicy tang that evens out quickly. Notes of straw and a sweet, nutty taste that pairs well with the traditional mold of blue cheeses follow. The longer the cheese ages, the more hints of ammonia emerge, but even when this little blue is past its prime, it's still tasty. But, oh, that rich creaminess! That's what will stick with you. I do suggest that you eat this while it's younger, but if you're not afraid to take a walk on the wild side, go ahead and let it age.
As I often suggest, a nice crusty French bread goes well with 1924 Bleu. Try it with some wildflower honey or on a spinach salad. You can use it in a stuffed chicken or in stuffed mushroom caps, and it also adds flavor to any cheese dip recipe.
I served this blue with Two Rivers Vintner's Blend, but it's an elegant cheese that will pair well with many wines including Arneis, Muscat, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay, Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, Sauternes or even a sherry or, for you beer fans, a porter or stout.
Two Rivers Vintner's Blend pairs well with this cheese.
Ahh, the REAL king of cheeses, Epoisses. It's the royal cheese, a fromage for cheese snobs everywhere. It's expensive. It's stinky, and it's divine. I reviewed the beautiful product here: Epoisses Review. As anyone can see, it's a favorite of mine, unless it's one that's not properly cared for, which, sadly, I experienced recently.
I will begin by saying that I have had some phenomenal Epoisses in the last few years, so when I went to purchase a round that was advertised as being on sale for half price in early December, I was really, really looking forward to taking my first bite of the soft, creamy paste. I didn't think too much of it when the rind looked a bit more orange than I remembered. Slight variations can occur from season to season. It wasn't until I got home and opened the package that I started to worry. The aroma was stronger than I remembered, very much on the pungent side. Epoisses is a funky cheese, but it's no Limburger.
Hervé Mons is an outstanding affineur. I like pretty much all the cheeses I have tried with his name on the label. His Epoisses, a relatively new product I assume, is the exception. In all my years of sampling and eating cheese, I have never returned a cheese product, until now. This was terrible. I can't think of another time when I couldn't consume a cheese. When I tried this version, against my better judgment, it tasted like the smell of horse urine. Yuck. The ammonia flavor was overwhelming and almost burned my throat. This was not merely old or overly aged cheese. I have tried Epoisses well past its prime and can assure you that it's not this bad. What I tried had no resemblance to Epoisses whatsoever.
If you're looking to buy Epoisses, stick to the classics.
As I explore the cheese world more, I'm finding how much goes on behind the scenes in order to produce the perfect piece of fromage. Much like bean-to-bar chocolates, chefs and other food producers are aiming to learn more about the origins of the ingredients. The farm-to-table concept is spreading, and this is good news for small farms in remote areas hit hard by the unstable economy. Fair trade isn't just for chocolate farmers. The ingredients for making cheese and how they are sourced and handled including where the milk is produced, the diet of the milking animals, what kind of rennet is used and where and how the cheese is aged will affect the end result.
Herve Mons is a renowned master affineur from France. This little interview is worth watching:
Cheese undergoes two big transformations before it reaches its final destination. The first is when the milk is made into curds, and the second is the when the curds are made into the actual cheese. The first step is usually done by the cheese makers. Rennet or some kind of coagulant is used to separate the curds from the whey. The type of rennet used is important, because harder cheeses require more whey to be extracted from the curds.
Once the cheese is made, it is passed to an affineur who is responsible for overseeing the aging process.
Where and how the cheese is ripened and the atmosphere of the cellar or cave is important. The air, temperature and humidity must be monitored carefully in order to bring out the best in a maturing cheese. Straw, bricks, stones, wood and soil can be used to alter the environment and affect the aging process.
Herve Mons cheeses aging on shelves.
Now that I have a little bit of the cheese-making process out of the way, I can dive into my first review.
Le Chartreux
This find was an unexpected, pleasant surprise. I was simply browsing the wondrous cheese selection at Whole Foods when my eyes suddenly landed on a cute little title card that read: Le Chartreux. My heart soared. Could this little gem be made in the Chartreuse region? I wondered. Immediately I asked the very kind lady at the counter for a small slice, which she wrapped nicely and handed me. At close to $30.00 a pound, a small slice is all I could afford.
Monastère de la Grande Chartreuse
When I got home, I did some research and found that there isn't a ton of information available on this cheese. There is also some incorrect information floating around out there. For example, one blogger claimed that the rind is washed in the Chartreuse liquor that's famous in that area. It's not. The wash is a regular bacteria wash. I was able to verify that. Another blogger tried to compare the delicate fromage to Parmesan when they are worlds apart.
Herve Mons Le Chartreux
Le Chartreux
Le Chartreux cheese is, indeed, made in the French Alps, near Grenoble. The specific area is called Vallée des Entremonts. I have a soft spot in my heart for this region, as I traveled there with my mom many years ago, and we had a wonderful time. We also hit the jackpot with the weather, arriving on a beautifully sunny day after nearly two months of rain. That's what one of the locals told us when I mentioned that I thought I could live there. It was sunny and mild and outrageously gorgeous: green, lush and full of glorious pastures. Chartreuse is where the monastery is located. It's also where the green and yellow Chartreuse liquors are made using 130 herbs, plants and flowers grown in the region.
Back to the cheese!
Le Chartreux is a semi-soft cheese made with raw cow's milk. If you have tried Morbier, which is made just North of Chartreuse in the Franche-Comte region, you will detect similar flavor notes in this cheese, but Le Chartreux is milder and more refined. It's definitely not as harsh as Morbier. If Morbier were a quarter horse, Le Chartreux would be a thoroughbred.
The aroma is pleasant, not too stinky, but this is a great cheese if you want to slowly introduce someone to the stinky cheese world. It's inviting and won't offend anyone, even though the aroma verges on being strong.
The flavor is outstanding. It's buttery, very slightly sweet, tangy and nutty with notes of hay. If golden were a flavor, this would be it.
The texture is creamy and smooth, less chewy than Morbier and much more even, too. The mouth feel is extraordinary, and it lingers, allowing the flavor to develop on the palate. This cheese is one that will make you dream of being in France. I can almost feel the sun warming my face as I imagine myself transported back to those lovely mountain towns that border Switzerland.
*****
Where's the first place you would go if you had the chance to revisit a place you have traveled to in the past?
