On the right track…

Hello Fellow Cheese Travelers!

In looking for inspiration for this week’s post, I looked no further that my note book and my photo files…page after page of hundreds of cheeses that I have enjoyed across the country and the thousands of photos that accompany them.

This story was meant to be told closer to last Christmas, but just like many people, I was swept up in shopping, family dinners, etc. and this story sat patiently upon my desk, waiting until I dedicated the time to sit and tell such an important story.

I had found myself down in Austin, Texas and had decided to drop into the Whole Foods Flagship store on North Lamar. The store is a testing ground for concepts that they roll out to Whole Foods Markets across the country, so it’s always worth checking out to see what’s in store.

While browsing through their cheese cases, I found a gem of a trio!…and when I learned that one was made with Cow’s Milk, the next made with Sheep’s milk, and the third made from Goat’s milk, I knew I had found the cheeses that I wanted to write about.

These three treasures were made by Mons Fromager/Affineur. The story of Mons is as important as these three cheeses that I was about to enjoy.

I first wrote about the Mons Family last year in my story about cave aging cheese in my post called Going Underground!, but I feel that this original story only scratched the surface, so I would like to dig deeper in today’s post.

Part refrigeration wizard, part scientist, and part artist, perfectly describes the folks at Mons®, a French fromager and affineur. Starting in the 1960’s as a cheesemonger, Hubert Mons and his wife, Rolande began selling cheeses around the region of Roanne, (Loire Region) of central France. In the 1980’s their oldest son, Hervé joined in, along with their son, Laurent in the 90’s and have transformed the business to include an affinage program that has elevated cheeses from France to a whole new level! 

In 2000, Hervé won the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF). Not familiar with this term? Be sure to click on the link to learn more…In a sense, the MOF’s are the “best of the best” in their respective fields. Hervé is a master affineur and fromager.

In 2001, Maison Mons created the Opus Caseus Concept training center, led by Laurent Mons. This eventually became MonS Formation.

“On the right track” – While Hervé was working on an expansion project at the caves in Saint Haon le Châtel, Hervé was contacted by his friend Jean Bartholin. Jean was an elected member of the General Council and asked Hervé to visit a railway tunnel in the city of Ambierle., as Jean thought it might be a perfect fit for Hervé. The local mayor was enthusiastic about the project, but another 18 months of temperature, humidity and air flow readings were carried out, as well as testing some cheeses to check the site’s potential. Today the Tunnel is completely renovated, while preserving its architecture.

60 years later, this 180m (590 feet) old railway tunnel lives again as “La Compagnie d'Affinage des Caves de la Collonge”and officially opened in 2009.

In 2014, Hervé Mons wanted to show his commitment to sustainability. Hervé approached several producers and asked them to make cheese using milk from the Salers breed of cows, which had been in declining numbers, but perfectly represented the terroir of the Auvergne region, its farmers and its animals.

Today, Mons has:

·      3 Affinage Cave Sites (Saint Haon le Châtel Caves, Tunnel de la Collonge Caves & Caves de Perpezat)

·      250 Cheeses aged all year long

·      1 Dairy production site (Laiterie MonS en Côte Roannaise)

·      Representing 130 farms that Mons visits at least once a year

·      10 Retail Shops in France

·      Exporting to over 20 countries

Let me take this time to review the three cheeses that I found:

Ovalie Cendree – I must admit, whenever I can find one of these in the cheese cases, I will pick one up. This 4 oz. Goat Cheese oval will be immediately recognizable from its small individual wooden crate that it comes packed in, as well as its appearance…A very light amount of fleuri (bloomy rind) that covers a beautiful oval cheese covered in a gray/black ash. The small wooden crate is covered with a breathable plastic, so you should be able to get the first scent of a goat cheese. How do you know if it’s ready to enjoy?...Since this came from an “Affineur” (or a cheese finisher), I already know that this cheese should be at it’s peak and should be enjoyed immediately (just try and wait to enjoy it until after you have paid for it and left the store). Like all cheeses, these should be allowed to sit and come up to room temperature (30 to 45 minutes), but if you are as impatient as I was, letting it come up to temp on the car dashboard is acceptable in extreme cases. When you do finally get a chance to get the cheese home and taste it, the first thing that friends comment on is the texture, or mouth feel…nothing like a traditional goat chèvre that can be light, slightly acidic, and spreadable, this ovalie cendree is rich, dense, fudgy, and decadent! Truly one of my top five cheeses. This cheese is a show stopper on a cheeseboard and will be the first cheese to disappear.

Petit Heletar – This one was a new one to me, as I had never seen it before. This little 2.7 oz. disc is only 20 days old, but don’t let its age and size fool you…Your taste buds are in for a treat! Appearance: A slight Geotrichumrind (brainy, or coral looking cheese) with an ivory colored rind and interior. The creamline of the cheese was perfect. The flavor? Herbaceous!...You could just imagine the field that the sheep were grazing in. So creamy and delicious in texture, I wish I had bought more!

Camembert with Truffles – As good as it sounds. These little wheels were split, then filled with a layer of creamy mascarpone with truffles. Not sure if you like truffles?...Read here first. This was as creamy, delicious and decadent as it sounds. The champagne that I served with it was the perfect accompaniment with it.

I thoroughly enjoyed these three cheeses beautifully aged by Mons®. Since Hervé Mons is a master affineur and fromager, I thought that I would simply and respectfully close with a quote by him:  

“Maturing cannot be understood without a good knowledge of cheese, the cheese is the result of two transformations.”“First the milk into curd and then the curd into cheese. This second processing is called ripening.  Refining will allow us to develop texture, aromas, tastes, and crusts. Without ripening, the characteristics and characteristics of each cheese cannot be revealed.”

“For my part I will define refining in this way: The Affinage is the result of a complex alchemy between an atmosphere, a place and time. Water, air and temperature play a decisive role. When you refine, you raise the cheese, you lead it to its second life.”

“The treatments are delicate and varied according to the families and the terroir. The elements wood, straw, stone and earth, are our friends, they help us to maintain and fix the atmosphere of our cellars. This world of life holds its balance only on a thread, our attention must be of every moment.”

“Refining is first and foremost feeling, some may have knowledge but if they have not felt it then refining will not be brilliant.”“I think I’m summarizing what a refiner should be and refining by these few lines:”

“Affinage is about time, so it needs expertise”

“Affinage is caring, so it needs generosity”

“Affinage is about the look, so it needs precision”

“Affinage is about the taste, so it needs curiosity”

“Affinage is about maturity, so it needs learning”

“Affinage is about living, so it needs emotion”

Until next week,

Trevor