Description
Aged Comté PDO Cheese
About Aged Comté PDO Cheese
Remember on the Comté PDO page when I said that four months was only the beginning of the Comté story?
Well, this is what happens when you wait three years.
Aged Comté starts life in exactly the same way as the younger Comté, but time transforms it. The smooth, buttery cheese becomes firmer, deeper and considerably more complex. Flavours intensify, little crunchy crystals appear in the paste and suddenly there’s an awful lot going on in every mouthful.
But you can’t simply take any wheel of Comté, leave it in a cellar for three years and hope for the best.
Three Years in the Making
As Comté matures, it is cared for by an affineur, who regularly turns, brushes and checks the wheels as they develop.
Part of their skill is working out which cheeses have the potential to age for longer. A wheel destined for three years needs the right structure, balance and character to keep developing without simply becoming dry or overpowering.
And that’s what makes really good aged Comté so special. Three years sounds like a long time to leave a cheese sitting around, but it isn’t simply waiting. The cheese is changing throughout that time.
Moisture slowly reduces, the texture becomes denser and flavours that were subtle in the younger cheese become much more pronounced. Proteins break down during maturation too, which is where those wonderful little crunchy crystals start to appear.
Patience, it turns out, tastes rather good.
Protected by PDO Tradition
Aged Comté is protected by exactly the same PDO rules as its younger counterpart. It must be made within the designated area of the Jura using raw milk from approved local breeds and following the traditional production methods laid down in the Comté specification.
The PDO requires Comté to mature for a minimum of four months.
Ours has been waiting rather longer than that.
Aged Comté PDO – Jen’s Tasting Notes
This is where Comté gets really interesting.
After three years, the paste is firmer and more golden than a younger Comté, and you’ll often spot tiny white crystals scattered through it. I absolutely love these. They give you little pops of crunch as the cheese melts in your mouth.
Then come the flavours.
I get toasted hazelnuts, browned butter, caramel and roasted almonds, followed by a lovely savoury, almost brothy depth. Depending on the wheel, you might find dried fruit, pineapple, mushroom, spice or even something slightly leathery.
And that’s one of the joys of aged Comté. You can sit around a table with several people tasting exactly the same piece and everybody will find something different.
The texture changes too. Rather than bending into neat slices like a younger Comté, a three-year-old cheese tends to break into little shards. Pop one in your mouth, leave it there for a moment and let it melt.
There’s no need to rush a cheese that’s already waited three years for you.
How to Serve and Pair Aged Comté PDO
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: Vin Jaune from the Jura is the classic. Its nutty, oxidative character is an extraordinary match for the deep savoury flavours in an older Comté.
- Something a little different: Try an Amontillado Sherry. Those nutty, savoury flavours work beautifully with the cheese and its long finish.
- On the plate: Honestly, don’t do too much to it. A drizzle of chestnut honey is lovely if you want something sweet, but this is a cheese I’m perfectly happy to sit and eat completely on its own.
- In the kitchen: You can cook with three-year-old Comté, and it will taste wonderful. But unless you’ve got a piece that’s beginning to get past its best, I’d eat it. There are considerably cheaper cheeses to put in an omelette.
Jen’s note: There’s something slightly ridiculous about thinking that somebody made this cheese three years ago, looked at it and decided, “Not yet.” Then somebody kept turning it, brushing it and looking after it while the rest of us got on with our lives. Three years later, we get to eat it. I think that’s rather wonderful.
Buying Aged Comté PDO
- Brand or Producer: Fromagerie Beillevaire
- Product name: 30-36 mois Comté PDO
- Milk: Cow
- Country: France
- Region: Franche-Comte
- Strength: Strong
- Vegetarian: No
- Suitable for pregnancy: Yes
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £5.20
- 500g wedge, £26.00
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, rennet, salt
