This week’s French cheese journey takes us to the Champagne area to find Langres AOP. Initially, farmers of the area made this cheese by pouring heat cow’s milk into terracotta molds known as fromettes. The cheese was finally flipped out of the molds onto lime tree leaves. Then, left to dry and subsequently age on oat straw.
Langres obtained it’s AOP designation in 2012, signifying high quality and sure requirements of manufacturing. But this cheese had a Licensed Designation of Origin since 1991. At present, it is a washed-rind, cow’s milk cheese produced with an intense strategy of successive washings all through the maturation course of. These washings end in a superb orange, bloomy rind and fairly pungent aromas and flavors.
Named for the Langres excessive plains area of Champagne, this cheese is in the identical pungent household as Époisses. Nonetheless, I discovered its flavors a lot stronger and stronger than these of Époisses. Although after studying totally different web sites, others say Langres is extra gentle. Personally, Langres wasn’t one among my favorites.
This cheese has a semi-soft texture. At room temperature, it turns into much more supple and utterly melts in your mouth. Anticipate aromas of mushrooms, earth, and hay. For me, Langres had very sturdy flavors of mushrooms, grass, and hay, plus a piquant spiciness like that of radishes.
Historically, Marc de Bourgogne or a splash of Champagne fills the small indent in Langres’ domed prime for optimum enjoyment.
Wine Pairings for Langres AOP Cheese
A Blanc de Noirs Champagne is the perfect pairing for Langres cheese. This model of Champagne is made utilizing a majority of Pinot Noir grapes. The result’s a fuller-bodied Champagne with a richer texture and sometimes purple or black fruit aromas. These traits are daring sufficient to face alongside the cheese’s potent aromas and flavors. Whereas Champagne’s excessive acidity is a scrumptious distinction to the supple, creamy texture of this French cheese.
Alternatively, pair this cheese with a dry Chardonnay from Puligny-Montrachet or a fancy Pinot Noir from Gevrey-Chambertin. In the event you’re into them, oxidized white wines like Vernaccia di Oristano D.O.C. are incredible alongside pungent cheeses like Langres AOP. Their aromas of nuts, mushrooms, and umami flavors are the right match for the flavors of this French fromage.
