Description
Reblochon PDO Cheese
About Reblochon PDO
Reblochon PDO is one of those cheeses that immediately makes me think of the French Alps. Small, creamy and wonderfully supple, with its delicate orange-pink rind, it has been made in the mountains of Savoie for centuries.
It’s hugely popular in France, and for good reason. Beneath that slightly rustic rind is a beautifully soft cheese with flavours of cream, butter and hazelnuts, and just enough earthiness to remind you that this is a proper mountain cheese.
The History
The traditional story of Reblochon takes us back to the 13th century, when Alpine farmers paid landowners according to the amount of milk their cows produced.
When the landowner or his representative came to measure the milk, the farmer would deliberately leave the cow only partly milked. Once the inspection was over, they would return and milk her again.
This second milking was known as reblocher — essentially, to milk again — and produced a smaller quantity of particularly rich milk. That milk was then used by the farming family to make cheese.
Whether every detail happened quite as neatly as the story suggests is another matter, but the practice of reblocher is where Reblochon gets its name.
Protected By Its PDO Status
Reblochon was awarded French AOC protection in 1958 and is now protected by European PDO status.
It can only be produced within a defined area of Haute-Savoie and Savoie, and the milk must come from three traditional mountain breeds: Abondance, Montbéliarde and Tarentaise.
There are two types to look out for. Reblochon fermier, or farmhouse Reblochon, is made on the farm using milk from a single herd and carries a green casein disc. Dairy-made Reblochon carries a red disc.
Those little coloured labels are a wonderfully simple way of telling you something about where your cheese has come from.
The Make
Reblochon is made from raw cow’s milk and is deliberately made quite quickly after milking. The curds are gently handled, lightly pressed into small moulds and turned to encourage even draining.
The cheeses are then salted and matured in cool, humid conditions, where regular care of the rind encourages its characteristic pale orange-pink colour.
The finished wheel is relatively small, usually around 450g. As it matures, the paste beneath the rind becomes increasingly soft and creamy while the flavour develops those characteristic nutty, buttery and earthy notes.
Reblochon PDO – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Don’t let the washed rind make you think this is going to be a particularly strong cheese. Reblochon is actually wonderfully gentle.
Cut into a ripe wheel and you’ll find a creamy ivory paste with a soft, supple texture. At room temperature it becomes beautifully yielding and can get particularly gooey just beneath the rind.
The aroma gives you warm cream, toasted nuts and a little earthy cellar character. Taste it and there’s an initial milky sweetness followed by butter and hazelnuts, with a gentle savoury earthiness towards the finish.
It’s far less powerful than something like Époisses PDO. Reblochon is all about that lovely balance between creamy richness and gentle Alpine character.
How to Serve and Pair Reblochon PDO
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so the texture has a chance to soften properly.
- Classic pairings: Keep it in Savoie with a glass of Apremont. Made from the Jacquère grape, its freshness and minerality are lovely against the creamy cheese.
- Something a little different: A dry cider works brilliantly too. That crisp apple acidity cuts straight through the richness.
- On the plate: Crusty bread, a few cornichons and perhaps some cured ham. It really doesn’t need much else.
- In the kitchen: This is where we have to talk about tartiflette. Potatoes, onions, bacon, cream and Reblochon melted over the top — possibly one of the greatest things ever to come out of the Alps.
Jen’s note: You can tell farmhouse Reblochon by the little green casein disc on the rind. Reblochon fermier must be made on the farm using milk from a single herd. Dairy-made Reblochon has a red disc. It’s a tiny label that tells you an awful lot about the cheese you’re eating.
Buying Reblochon PDO
- Brand or Producer: Fromagerie Chabert
- Product name: Reblochon PDO
- Milk: Cow
- Country: France
- Region: Haute-Savoie
- Strength: Medium
- Vegetarian: No
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- Half a cheese (approx. 225g), £7.00
- Whole cheese (approx. 450g), £14.00
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, rennet, salt, ferments
