Monday, March 9, 2009

The World of Herve Mons

The other day we were paid a visit at the shop by Laure Dubouloz, US Representative and affineur for Herve Mons. She gave us a spiel on the Mons operation, showed us some amazing photos of their aging facilities and bragged about some of their suppliers and cheese makers (we're talking 3rd generation cheese makers milking one thousand goats twice a day - real deal shit). But most importantly Laure brought along some Mons-aged beauties for us to taste, including the elusive new goat's tome - the Bois Noirs.

Herve Mons the man is a third generation French affineur. He has won awards and praise from his peers, including the coveted Les Meilleurs Ouvriers award for his outstanding cheese and is a venerable master amongst cheese aficionados. His focus remains on only sourcing the best cheese from the finest milk, and he is meticulous in his selection of suppliers. And it only gets better from there. Mons was recently granted full access to and use of an abandoned train tunnel in a nearby town. They are currently aging St. Nectaire in 130 meters of underground space, perfectly insulated and humidified by the natural soil above and below.

The Mons operation is still run very much like a family business. There are 30 employees and the small group maintains 5 aging facilities, releases 250 cheeses from 120 suppliers and manages 4 cheese shops. It's a lot of work but they prove that passion and fastidiousness pay off. Basically, anything Herve Mons touches is a winner. We're very fortunate to carry his cheeses and even more so to have been paid a visit by one of his esteemed employees. Here is a bit about what we tasted.

Cazelle de St. Affrique is a young, pasteurized sheep's milk cheese made in a similar fashion to crottin. At six weeks old it had a smooth, dense and slightly gummy texture. The flavor was mildly nutty, with a very clean finish. I really enjoyed the pale yellow-white rind, which was a bit damp and supple and had a slight bitter flavor.









The Tomme Crayeuse taught me many things. I learned that a Tomme was traditionally the cheesemaker's cheese - made with the milk not used in a more affluent cheese production (the leftovers essentially) and eaten at the family table. I learned that a chalky (crayeuse means chalky in french) center and gooey exterior is the result of a poor ph balance during the cheese's development. And I learned that despite all of its flaws and misgivings the Tomme Crayeuse is fucking delicious.

It's an incredibly grassy, pasteurized cow's milk cheese from the Savoie region of France. The wheel I tasted had a lactic sweetness at the center and the more ripened outside was a bit mustier, with mild mushroomy notes. The rind had beautiful red and yellow mold and was fairly bitter.





The Tomme des Bois Noir (bois noir means dark woods in french) is a new undertaking for Herve and his team. For the first time they are managing a herd of goats, taking a cheese from animal to market all on their own. The herd, as told by the name, meanders freely in fields amidst thickly wooded and shadowy pine forests. The process allows for even greater control in the production of the cheese and it seems to be paying off.

The Bois Noir is being released at about 3 months old (though this photograph is of a younger 6 week old wheel). The former has a semi soft and slightly springy texture, typical of many goat cheeses of this age. While the smell is foresty and slightly cellar-esque, the flavor is mild with strong mushroom notes and a little goaty tang. The younger wheel was a bit sweeter, less tangy, and the rind had a yeasty, sweet flavor, as opposed to the earthiness of the older wheel.

Here is a picture of the Epoisses de Gaugry Fromagerie that Mons is pushing right now and Laure's sweet utility knife (her name is emblazoned in ivory on the handle). See below for a bit more on this one.

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