Saint-Nectaire

As with most French AOC cheeses, Saint-Nectaire may be made from raw, thermalised or pasteurised cows’ milk on farms (fermier), by co-opératives or in larger factories. We sell Saint-Nectaire Fermier aged in Aurillac by affineur Xavier Morin. An affineur (from the French verb affiner to fine tune or mature) is a professional who takes cheese from the producer before it is ripe, ripens the cheese and markets it. The surface of Saint-Nectaire is characterised by a furry grey mould, which grows on the beige, natural rind beneath. The cheeses first develop their pinkish rind of B. linens but then the affineur allows and encourages moulds to grow over this layer of cultures. Each affineur has a different style and develops a different balance of mould and cultures on their cheese. The paste is quite dense without any holes and is smooth and elastic. The aroma of Saint-Nectaire Fermier is quite distinct and one of the most pleasing of any cheese. Although there is a dominant smell of damp mould, there is simultaneous freshness. The best way to describe it is the aroma of moss-covered stones at the edge of a mountain stream. The flavour has a gentle pungency and sweetness, along with hints of cooked vegetables and nuts.