Fresh Hazelnut, Walnut, Chestnut, Almond
Roasted Almond, Peanut, Hazelnut
FRUIT
Citrus Fruits Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit
Tropical Fruits Banana, Pineapple, Melon, Mango
Stone or Pip Fruits Apricot, Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum
Berries Blackcurrant, Strawberry, Gooseberry
Processed Fruits Dried Fruits, Fermented Fruits
TOASTED
Light Toasted Vanilla, Brioche
Medium Toasted Toffee, Chicory, Coffee, Chocolate
Strong Toast Smokey, Burnt
ANIMAL
Bovine Cow Shed, Leather, Sweat
Meat Meat Broth, Beefy, Gamey
Manure Bovine Manure
OTHER
Sulphur, Ammonia, Mouldy, Musty, Salt, Malt, Marmite, Vinegar, Mustard, Yeast, Tannin, Bitter, Sharp, Tangy, Sugar, Sweet, Honey, Eggs, Putrid, Pungent, Bland.
Great Britain
France
Italy
Spain and Portugal
AT THE SIGN OF THE GOLDEN CROSS
Golden Cross: Kevin and Alison Blunt
Ten miles inland from Eastbourne, East Sussex, just off the A22, lies the hamlet of Golden Cross. Its name derives from the 19th century inn at the sign of ‘The Golden Cross’ at that location but, more interestingly, it is the cheese to which it has given its name that, nowadays, sets hearts racing at the mention of Golden Cross. The cheese, quite simply, is superb.
Kevin and Alison Blunt make this gem on their smallholding of 6 acres, which they share with 240 milking goats and 90 kids. They never intended to make cheese, but were persuaded to do so when a neighbour decided to return to his native France and sold them his milking parlour and cheese-making equipment. At the time, in 1989, they were living in a mobile home and literally built everything themselves, including their house! They have three children who have grown up learning to help Mum & Dad with the cheesemaking and looking after the goats. They have not looked back, and now make over 1,000 cheeses each week; not enough to satisfy demand but to increase production would, they feel, risk reducing the quality.
They spend nearly all their waking hours in pursuit of their business, which is also their way of life. Just milking the goats (Saanens, British Alpines and Toggenburgs) takes 5 hours a day and that’s before a single cheese is made. The goats all graze outside during the summer and are fed hay all year round. Kevin has split them into three kidding groups to try and provide cheese throughout the year. At peak season, they produce up to 800 litres of milk, which Kevin and Alison then set about making into cheese. To do this, Alison heats the milk to 20˚c, and then adds a starter culture, microbial rennet and penicillium. The curd is left in a warm room for 24 hours to form a curd and, the next day, is hand-ladled into tall cylindrical moulds. At the end of the day the cheeses are turned upside down to get an even distribution of moisture. The next morning the cheeses are taken out of their moulds and moved to a drying room, where they are sprinkled with salt and charcoal. The charcoal alters the acidity of the surface of the cheese and aids the maturation, giving the right conditions for the growth of the penicillium mould. Kevin and Alison continue to turn the cheeses daily until they judge that they are ready for despatch to customers.
So, although they do now have some help, it is definitely a full time job!
And what of the finished cheese? Golden Cross has a delightful, velvety bloom on the outside, the result of the penicillium, which Alison adds, and its log shape immediately makes it look interesting and appealing. But it is when the log is cut that the appearance becomes truly stunning because, there revealed is the intense white of the interior, surrounded by a thin black circle of charcoal which, in turn, is coated with the white bloom on the outside. Served on a black charcoal biscuit, it looks spectacular. I also enjoy Golden Cross sliced on top of a salad of grilled Mediterranean vegetables, with the cheese slightly warmed but not melted.
When young, Golden Cross has a fine, firm, silky texture and a fresh, tangy flavour with a hint of lemon. As it ripens, the body of the cheese becomes denser and creamier and the flavour takes on a more complex array of flavours – caramel, lemon, vanilla, grass and a host of others, all in harmony with each other and increasing in intensity with each passing day.
The pleasure of those who eat the cheese is sufficient testament to its quality, but Golden Cross has also won many awards; not least of which was the James Aldridge Trophy for the best unpasteurised British cheese, which The Prince of Wales presented to Kevin and Alison. That was one day which the Blunts had to be persuaded to spend time away from their farm, but even then they had to hurry back to milk the goats.
Other top goats’ milk cheeses
Goats’ cheeses are amongst my favourites. I find something particularly attractive about their fresh, steely, lightly-acidic style, which seems far less cloying, or fatty, than cows’ milk cheeses. I also like the intense white colour of their paste, which can be in striking contrast to their rind and makes for a very attractive appearance on the cheeseboard.
Despite these common characteristics, goats’ milk cheeses come in almost as many shapes and styles as cows’ milk cheeses, and it is a mistake to think of them as all one category. The range of flavours and textures in goats’ cheeses runs from extremely mild, fresh young cheeses to some aged cheeses, especially from France, Italy or Spain, which can be fierce, fiery and extremely ‘goaty’. France is a land par excellence for ‘chèvres’, with the Loire valley and the Mediterranean coastline being the predominant regions; but recently there has been something of a renaissance in goats’ milk cheesemaking in Britain.
Although goats’ cheeses are very well matched to light modern diets, they were, in fact, amongst the earliest cheeses to be made. When Sumerian man was first making cheese some 5,000 years ago, it was almost certainly from the milk of either goats or sheep. This tradition has been preserved all around the Mediterranean although elsewhere, since the Middle Ages, cows have sometimes displaced goats and sheep due to their higher yield.
The smaller fat particles and a unique fatty acid structure make goats’ milk cheeses easier to digest than cows’ milk cheeses and thus suitable for a wider range of consumers.
Goats’ cheeses remain fairly seasonal, with cheesemaking generally taking place from January to October. The reason for this is that the kids are, in the main, born at the beginning of the year, with the does giving milk for some 9 months thereafter. The best time to enjoy goats’ cheeses, therefore, starts in the spring and runs through to the autumn.
Banon from the south of France is easily identifiable because it is wrapped in a chestnut leaf tied with raffia. It is soft with a, sometimes, sticky rind inside the leaf, and a mild, faintly sour lactic flavour.
There are other cheeses, such as Tommette and Bûchette Sarriette, which are basically the same as Banon but without the chestnut leaf and presented in a variety of shapes and sizes.
I also love Chabichou du Poitou with its crinkled skin, crumbly texture and delicate, slightly sweet flavour reminiscent of nuts and herbs. Shaped like a truncated cone, it is made in the Poitou region of western France and allegedly was introduced by the Moors when they occupied the region in the 8th century.
Crottin de Chavignol is perhaps one of the most well-known French goats cheeses. It is made in and around the village of Chavignol, near Sancerre in the Loire valley, and they are ideal accompaniments to each other. There are four stages of maturation for Crottin de Chavignol: Demi Sec, when it is young, fresh and quite soft; Bleuté which is a when blue moulds are just starting to appear on the surface and the cheese is firmer with a more distinct taste; Bleu when the blue moulds have covered the whole cheese giving it a somewhat dry, powdery flavour; and Repassé which is when the cheese has been kept in earthenware pots for 3-4 weeks and is very strong flavoured.
The other great goats’ cheeses from the Loire are Selles Sur Cher, Ste Maure, Pouligny St Pierre and Valençay, all of which I find irre
sistible. They are different shapes and from different villages but otherwise they all share a similar smooth texture and salty lactic flavour with hints of hazelnuts.
Cerney, which is made in the Cotswolds, can be regarded as an English version of Valençay because of its shape but, in fact, has a drier texture. It is simply delicious grilled.
Tymsboro is also worth looking out for. Developed by Mary Holbrook at her farm just south west of Bath, it can be sublime but can be a little variable.
Another marvellous English goats milk cheese is Perroche made by Charlie Westhead in Herefordshire. It needs to be eaten very fresh, within a week to 10 days of making, and has the most delicate of flavours. Mousse like in texture, it melts in the mouth.
Of the harder goats cheeses, Ticklemore is one of my favourites, especially when well-matured. It is hard and nutty, with complex herby flavours.
My final selection is Bouton d’Oc, a mini, pear-shaped cheese pierced by a small stick and weighing in at just 15g. With its fine texture and typical mild goaty flavour, it makes an ideal accompaniment to an aperitif.
Reflections from the Loire
I arrived in Touraine, the birthplace of many a fine goats’ cheese, and Immediately, I felt at home in this delightful region. Manoir de la Remoniere, where I stayed, is a lovely, large 15th century house; somewhat ramshackle and dilapidated outside but my room was delightful, spacious and very comfortable. The manoir stands just across the River Indre from Azay Le Rideau and I could see the Château from the terrace outside my room. The host family were friendly and welcoming. I dined at Les Grottes, which was excellent. My ‘amuse-bouche’ was superb; melon, tea and mint in a very light frothy cross between a mousse and a drink. After dinner I walked round the Château for their Son et Lumière which was enchanting. My favourite scene was ‘The Woods’, with rainbow lights dotted in the trees, as if the light had been refracted through a diamond, with ‘nature’ music and bird calls.
The next morning I visited Leboeuf-Dalonneau, a small farm just outside Ste Maure, making Ste Maure cheese. Their land is used for cereals with their 120 goats kept inside all year and milked where they live (no milking parlour) – what a boring life, never a change of scene. There is a small dairy where they make the cheese – basic and showing signs of ageing but clean enough.
I lunched at Hôtel d’Espagne in Valençay. Slow service but excellent smoked salmon chopped into tiny pieces and bound together by a light sauce (probably fromage frais). Served with the most delicate cream of cucumber; mousse-like. Simply superb.
After lunch I visited Maurice Laville at Fromagerie Hardy in Meusnes. They don’t make cheese but buy from farmers when the cheeses are about 3 days old and mature them for 10-15 days. A very efficient operation and clearly passionate about quality in what they do; hygienic, controlled, calm, efficient. They handle Selles sur cher, Ste Maure and Valençay. All are made to exactly the same recipe; it is only the shape of the cheese which differs, although this will affect the maturing of the cheese and hence, slightly, the finished flavour. The making of Pouligny St Pierre differs, in that the curds are pre-drained before putting in the moulds (as with Crottin de Chavignol). This results in a firmer, fuller-bodied cheese with a sturdier flavour. The process is basically: milk into vats; add starter culture; after 2 hours add rennet; leave for 18 hours during which the curds coagulate; then into moulds for 18 hours. The cats’ hair grey mould, which sometimes appears on the cheeses in the spring, is linked to the blooming of the trees.
I went on to Fromagerie Jacquin. They are quite a big operation producing 800 tons a year. Like Hardy, they also mature farmhouse cheeses but are not keen to promote them. They pasteurise everything.
A little drive to the east is Sancerre, which I approached from Touraine. I started looking for an hotel when I left Vierzon. Nothing was to be found en-route but I thought there must be a nice hotel in Sancerre itself. There wasn’t.
After a terrible night at a not very good and overpriced hotel in Cosne sur Loire, I ventured to Chavignol, just outside Sancerre to visit, after a not bad lunch at ‘Au Fin Chavignol’, Gilles Dubois. He was late – a bad start. But his operation is good; just like Hardy in Touraine – affineurs not makers. They have a nice shop and functional ‘caves’.
In the evening to Château de Maulmont, just outside Vichy. Well advertised; placards all the way along the route. Good reviews in the guides, good food, pleasant atmosphere, but the place has no personal touch, no personality to it. It’s all a bit too commercial. Is there a manager? Is there an owner? It runs as a business not as a passion.
Pouilly Fumé La Moynerie 2003: Domaine Michel Redde
I should say here that wines made from the Sauvignon grape are not my favourites. I find that, whilst they are refreshing and zesty, they can also be green, acidic, aggressive and reminiscent of unripe fruit.
However, when paired with goats’ cheeses both wine and cheese take on new dimensions – the marriage brings out in both hitherto hidden qualities.
Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé are the most fashionable wines made from Sauvignon, but New Zealand and South Africa are rapidly developing their own reputations. I find that New Zealand tends to accentuate the qualities I dislike in Sauvignon, whereas South Africa exhibits many of the qualities I do like but in more muted form and at a lower price than the French. However, for the purposes of matching with goats’ cheeses there is no doubt that the Loire valley is the spiritual, as well as physical heartland for Sauvignon. The wines produced here are almost invariably a good match for goats’ cheeses; hardly a surprise as, dotted amongst the vineyards, are little farms with a few goats in their barns, from whose milk are produced some of the most sublime goats’ cheeses.
Sauvignon is also, of course, an essential ingredient, along with Semillon, in the magnificent sweet wines of Bordeaux, which are such a good match with blue cheeses. But I find the dry wines produced in Bordeaux tend to dullness, lacking the pungency and intensity of wines made further north in the Loire. Californian Sauvignons tend towards a melony flavour which is not so suited to goats’ cheese.
To enjoy with goats’ cheeses, my money is on Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and many of the lesser-known Loire wines such as Quincy, Reuilly, Menetou-Salon and even a basic Sauvignon de Touraine. In a good vintage, such wines are refreshing, not too aggressive and possess a flinty, grassy, herbaceous edge to the fruit, with a hint of crushed nettles which is a perfect foil for goats’ cheese.
Many years ago Rachel and I visited Michel Redde at his vineyard just north of Pouilly-sur-Loire. We had a fascinating tasting followed by lunch in a local restaurant. I have remembered his wines with fondness ever since and recently his son, Thierry, was kind enough to send me a bottle of his Pouilly Fumé La Moynerie 2003. I couldn’t wait to get some goats’ cheese to taste with it and, as luck would have it, I had some Golden Cross in prime condition. The two might have been made for each other. The La Moynerie had a lovely nose, gooseberry, as is typical of Sauvignon, but really full and soft with none of the sourness which one can sometimes find. On the palate it was soft, rounded, full, harmonious, elegant and long lasting, with just the right balance of flinty austerity to give the wine some backbone and structure, and to prevent it being soft and floppy. None of the over-austerity found in some Sauvignons. A great wine. The Golden Cross was soft and silky in texture with the rind providing a delightful contrast of texture. The flavour was lemony, grassy and full. The two together complimented each other to perfection.
In 1991, Thierry took charge of the enterprise, becoming the sixth generation of the Redde family to cultivate vines on this vineyard. This allowed Michel to fulfil his childhood dream of painting; he had great success bringing pleasure to many with his paintings, just as he did with his wines.
The 40 hectare vineyard covers some areas of flinty soils and some of limestone chalk. Grapes grown in the flinty areas give a spiciness to the wine while those from limestone areas tend to produce rounder and softer wines. Neither is perfect b
y itself but Thierry’s blending masterfully brings out the best of both. It is one of the secrets that makes the La Moynerie wine so special. Generally he uses about two-thirds from the limestone chalk areas and one-third from the flinty areas; this partially accounts for the wonderful depth of his wines.
I have found other Sauvignons which partner Golden Cross well; sometimes a Sancerre, which can be more flinty, makes an excellent match; but I love the La Moynerie wine and can thoroughly recommend it.
Buying cheese: What to look for
For me, and I hope you, cheese is more than mere sustenance. It should provide pleasure in eating, stimulate the senses, and have a sufficiently complex flavour to be interesting. To me, great cheeses should have character, harmony, finesse, layers of flavour, delicacy and complexity; revealing the nuances of their character with every mouthful.
To achieve this is no easy task. It demands the skill of the herdsman to produce immaculate raw milk, and the skill of the cheesemaker to turn that milk into a great cheese. At its heart, cheesemaking is basically a simple process and the best cheeses are usually produced in the simplest of ways. What is required is an innate skill, a feel for the milk, almost a sixth sense by which the cheesemaker knows the best thing to do at any point in the process. This cannot be done on a large scale in a factory; it requires the personal surroundings of a small dairy where the cheesemaker is in tune with his, or often her, environment and, above all, where they have the independence to follow their instinct rather than a given set of instructions.
The Cheesemonger's Tales Page 2