Saint Nectaire Laitier

St. Nectaire is a French semisoft, washed rind cheese from the Auvergne region of France. Made from the milk of Salers cows that feed on rich, volcanic pastures, St. Nectaire is both a fermier (farmhouse) and industrial cheese. Depending whether the processes are artisanal (raw milk) or industrial (pasteurised milk), the texture attributes in St. Nectaire are vastly different.

AOC awarded, St. Nectaire fremier takes six to eight weeks to mature on rye straw mats, imparting a peculiar pungent smell to the cheese. When properly aged, it has a grayish-purple washed rind, dotted with white, yellow and red molds. The creamy, supple, silky textured paste melts in the mouth to reveal flavours of nuts, hay, cellars and mushroom.

St. Nectaire fremier is easily recognizable by the oval label while the industrial version is stamped with a square label. A glass of Bordeaux, Shiraz, Côtes d'Auvergne or Beaujolais and St. Nectaire will go hand-in-hand.