Saint Nectaire AOP Affinage d'Excellence *Third of a Pound*

Saint Nectaire AOP Affinage d'Excellence, Third of a Pound

A raw cow's milk Saint Nectaire with AOP status, matured for six to eight weeks on rye straw mats. That matting gives it the peculiar pungent smell the cheese is known for, and by the time it is properly aged the rind has gone grayish purple and is dotted with white, yellow and red molds.

Why you'll love it

• Six to eight weeks — matured on rye straw mats, which is where the smell and the rind come from.
• Washed rind — grayish purple on the outside, dotted with white, yellow and red molds.
• Silky paste — creamy and supple, it melts in the mouth rather than coating it.
• Nuts, hay, mushroom — flavors that run from toasted nut to cellar and forest floor.
• Raw cow's milk — unpasteurized milk from France, farmhouse made rather than industrial.

How to enjoy Take it out of the fridge an hour before serving and eat it with good bread and a light red. It is also excellent melted over potatoes with garlic and cream.

A farmhouse Saint Nectaire with real aging behind it, for anyone who likes a washed rind that talks back.