Beaufort, Chalet d'Alpage AOP

Origin of the Product: Beaufort AOP comes from the high peaks of Beaufortin in Savoie. There are several types: Beaufort, Beaufort d'été produced only with summer milk from June to October, and Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage. The latter is made twice a day after milking a single herd of Tarentaise or Abondance cows, above 1500 meters and using traditional manual techniques. The origin of the concave heel of the wheel was to facilitate the transport of cheeses on the back of a mule to prevent sagging of the cheese during ripening.

History of the Producer: Summer production is limited to around 10,000 wheels during the season. This cheese is of high quality, its yellow paste reflects the diet of cows. The Verdannet cheese dairy selects its producers rigorously with a visit to the farms, the place of manufacture and ripening and a verification of the mastery of the process. All the wheels are sorted before maturing by the Verdannet family, specialists in Savoyard PDOs and symbol of a demanding cheese-making tradition.

Selection of Laëtitia Gaborit: My desire is to keep the tradition and the manufacturing of this product. I want to highlight these exceptional farm products due to their manufacturing constraints in the mountains. At the tasting we feel all the subtlety of this cheese linked to its environment and the context in which it is made. The flora is different in altitude, which gives its buttery paste a very aromatic, even often floral, taste.