3 Year Comté
$42.00 / Lb
- Raw
- Animal Rennet
- Age: 3 Years
- Cow Milk
- by Fromagerie Arnaud
- France
- ApproachableAdventurous
- SoftHard
Comté—an AOC-protected cheese that dates back centuries—is one of France’s most famous cheeses. This 3-Year Comté has a supple texture and rich flavors of roasted hazelnuts and warm broth, with notes of dried fruit. Its unusually lengthy aging period is overseen by the visionary affineur Jean-Charles Arnaud at Fort des Rousses, a converted fortress where vaulted rooms create natural air circulation and an ideal aging environment. Slice this Alpine gem alongside Black Cherry Confit.
"My favorite pairing for this French cheese is a glass of Bordeaux and a bite of Pralus Chocolatier Milk Chocolate Infernal Bar. Caution: you may impulse-shop flights to France."
Raw Cow’s Milk, Starter Ferment (Milk), Salt, Animal Rennet
Allergens: Milk
- Fort des Rousses, where this cheese is aged, is a repurposed stone military fort commissioned by Napoleon in the 1800s in France’s Jura mountains. The fort is comprised of seven levels, most of which are hidden underground and built for optimal affinage.
- Only specific wheels are able to age for a full three years. These rare selections have an intense, robust flavor.
- Comté is an AOC-protected cheese. AOC stands for “Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée” or Controlled Designation of Origin. This label ensures that the food is made according to its traditions. It has to be produced in a certain region, according to specific processes, and packaged in a specific way.
- With deep roots in Poligny, France, at the foot of the Jura mountains, Fromageries Arnaud's operations date back to 1907.
- The original owner, Charles Arnaud, would park his truck in front of the famed Café de Flore in Paris in the 1930s. It was there that he came up with the name for his Comté—Juraflore.
- The business is now run by Jean-Charles Arnaud, Charles’ grandson.
- Their renowned Comté cheese get a taste of history, too. They're aged in the Fort des Rousses, France’s second-largest fortress, which was transformed into aging cellars in 1997.
