Roquefort from Maison Gabriel Coulet

The village of Roquefort sits on the side of the Combalou limestone plateau beneath which lies an intricate network of caves and deep fissures, formed by a landslide around a million years ago.  These caves naturally maintain a temperature of around 8-10C and a humidity of 95%; perfect conditions for the penicillium roqueforti mould to flourish and integral to the maturation of Roquefort cheese.  These natural geological faults have been christened ‘Fleurines’ from the Occitan for breath as they allow for airflow and a ventilation system through the cave network.

The cheeses from Roquefort have been well known for hundreds of years with exclusive production rights given to the village by Charles VI in 1411.    The cheese was already highly regarded before that however as in the 12^th century, Cistercian monks from the Roquefort region were encouraged to make cheese in Yorkshire and indeed made the first Wensleydales which, at the time, were naturally blue.

In 1869 Guillaume Coulet, father of Gabriel, decided to dig a cellar below his family home which he originally intended to use for wine but when he discovered a series of the fleurines, changed his plans.  In 1872, the same year that Gabriel Coulet was born, he began to mature cheese instead.

Cheese maturing stayed in the family with Gabriel Coulet using his caves to mature cheeses made by his in laws, the Rivemales, eventually taking on their cheese production and lending his name to the business: Maison Gabriel Coulet. Subsequently future generations of the family took on production and maturation of Roquefort with the business now about to enter its 6^th generation. 

Their cheeses are made with the strains of penicillium which have lived in their cellars for over 150 years and which they take samples from to be propagated at a laboratory, preserving their own unique flora which sets their cheese apart.  In addition to these measures however, our caves in France have worked with the Maison Gabriel Coulet to establish our own flavour profile which comprises cheeses with a more fondant, softer texture and warmer, animal flavour and sweetness.

Milk is collected locally from farms within a 45km radius of the dairy and as according to the AOC, the milk is from Lacaune sheep only.  This is inoculated with starter cultures and their own strain of Penicillium roqueforti at a temperature of between 28 and 32C.  The curd is cut and stirred in the vats before the cheeses are hand moulded and later dry salted.  They spend between 70 to 150 days in the caves and then can be aged for up to 250 days.

These cheeses melt on the tongue with a beautiful depth of flavour: hints of lamb stock and stone fruit sweetness alongside the minerality of the blue.