This washed rind cheese has a soft bloomy rind and a smooth, creamy interior with the texture of vanilla ice-cream. Chaource has a mild aroma of mushrooms. In terms of flavour the cheese is mild, creamy, lactic and slightly acidic. More mature versions of the cheese also offer an interesting contrast of textures; from the semi-liquid paste under the rind to the stiff, creamy paste at the centre of the cheese. GAEC des Tourelles are the only remaining manufacturers of Chaource Fermier AOC in France.

Chaource is named after a small town in the Champagne region. As Chaource is from the region, Champagne is a natural match, Rosé Champagne compliments Chaource especially well. It is also great with wines as diverse as Sancerre, Chablis and Port. Chaource was granted AOC status in 1977, with the AOC stipulating that coagulation must be mainly lactic and last for at least 12 hours and that drainage must be both spontaneous and slow.

Generally mould-rind cheeses are designed to maximize surface area, thus ensuring that there is sufficient penicillum candidum- the white mould on the cheese’s exterior- to convert the interior from a chalky, under-ripe texture to a softer, runnier paste. By contrast Chaource’s cylindrical shape is intended to maintain the ‘chalkiness’ of the interior. Whilst the paste immediately underneath the rind may become runny in mature cheeses, the interior whilst smooth and creamy will never become ‘soft’ in the same sense of cheeses like Brie or Camembert.