Artisanal cheese from the Fromagerie de Mussy
Chaource, a double cream cow’s milk cheese from North-East France was on the menu here today and its melt-in-the-mouth creaminess was irresistible. The texture is smooth and dense and the subtle flavour, with a hint of mushroom, lingers on the palate such that considerable restraint is required to avoid going back to the cheeseboard for more.
Chaource was granted AOC status in 1970 and can only be made in certain parts of the Aube and Yonne departments near Tonnerre and Troyes. On Thursday, we passed through the sleepy little town of Chaource itself and picked up one of these beautiful, snowy-white, soft-rinded cheeses, made by the Fromagerie de Mussy. Today, we unwrapped it and devoured half of it for lunch with a baguette and a very soft and supple, uncomplicated red Bourgogne. Other suggested wine matches are Chablis, Sancerre and Champagne, but I can’t wait to try the remaining half of our Chaource with a rosé Crémant de Bourgogne.
