Beaufort

Type: Hard

Milk: Raw cows milk

Rennet: Animal

Location: Savoie, France

South of Albertville in the Savoie, Claude Mercier’s dairy produces Beaufort from the milk of 2 herds of local breed Abondance and Tarentaise cattle. The son of an alpagiste, although no longer making in a chalet, he preserves various traditions of Beaufort Alpage which sets his cheese apart. These include producing his own starter cultures and rennet. It is a combination of these factors plus the rich local milk which allows his Beauforts to retain such a unique and beautifully soft texture and complex flavour with notes of orange zest, apricot, brioche, hazelnut and warm spices.