We've always been partial to blondes, even those of a certain age, and this is the oldest blonde we know. Most records indicate that the Ossau-Iraty cheeses from Aquitaine were among the first cheeses ever made thousands of years ago. Legend has it that Aristee, the shepherder son of Apollo, created the Ossau-Iraty cheese. After all this time, she still looks good. The thick, buff rind is dappled with rust and gray molds; beneath, the ivory paste is slightly grainy, but Botoxed with butterfat. Despite its elegant, wheat flour aroma, the fat is unapologetic. This dense richness is most pronounced in the floral milk of late summer. Meaning: wheels that are available six to eight months later (March-May) are supreme. There are many versions to keep an eye out for, of which the most prevalent is Abbaye de Belloc, produced by the Benedictine monks of the Belloc Abbey in the Western Pyrénées. Other popular imitators, produced on a larger scale and made of pasteurized milk, not qualifying for the A.O.C. are the simple, pleasing and good starter cheeses Doux de Montagne, Etorki, and Prince de Claverolle. The cheese's grassy sweetness is heightened by a smoky Pouilly-Fumé.