Heaven made in Cheese

29 Jul 2018:

Champagne and Langres - heaven made in cheese!

It was the perfect occasion to share a beautifully aged Langres, with a few good friends and a bottle of 1996 Dom Pérignon. (Well, we actually needed two bottles so that we could have spare some for pouring into the cheese!)

Langres is a soft washed rind full-fat cow's milk cheese, with a wrinkly golden yellow to orange rind, sometimes covered with white down and an ivory paste. The 18th century cheese owes its name to the town of Langres, a historic fortified town in the Haute-Marne region of Champagne that boasts 3.5 km of remparts offering strategic views of the Marne Valley and beyond to the Vosges Mountains, as well as 12 towers and 7 gates. The Langres cheese is easily recognised by a concave hollow, known as the "fountain" (or "la fontaine"), reminiscent of the fortified remparts of its namesake town. This concave feature which becomes more pronounced with age, is due to the flattened cone-shaped terracotta moulds (called "fromottes") used in the making of the cheese and the fact that the cheese is not turned during its ageing process. Once turned out, the cheese is dried on platane leaves in wicker cages. The ageing process usually lasts a minimum of 3-4 weeks (usually longer, and total time depending on the size). Langres comes in 3 sizes: small (150-250 g), medium (280-350g) and large (800-1300g). The colour is due to the washing with brine and the natural annatto giving the cheese its distinctive colour. Marc de Champagne is sometimes added to the washing process to intensify the flavours.

The rind is sticky to the touch, with a brilliant sheen to its coat. It has an intense pungency on the nose, and on the palate, the dense texture passes from firm and chalky/grainy to a velvety soft creaminess that melts in your mouth, with extended ageing. The mildly salted umami-accented flavours remind one of fermented soya beans, dried citrus peel, and a farmyard note. The finish is long. It is no surprise that it is often referred to as the cousin of Epoisses.

The hearty gourmands would pour Marc de Champagne into the hollow. In my version last night, I made a cross in the top of the cheese, poured our champagne into the hollow until it overflows. I then left it to let the cheese soak up the champagne for almost an hour and a half before I served it. I dug a well into the cheese prior to serving, mixed around the cheese and champagne into a creamy, if slightly messy-looking mixture and served. The result was stunning - the champagne characters of mushroom, hazelnuts and caramelised apple notes complemented the complexity, and lent just a touch of acidity (see below wine note) to balance the creaminess of the cheese. It was a heavenly "mess"!

Heavenly "mess"!

On my cheese board last night (see below), I also served a Rove des Garrigues, one of my favourite goat cheeses from France. The local breed of Rove goats in the Provence/Midi-Pyrénées roam the garrigue-grown land and the aromas of the wild flora and herbs (wild thyme, juniper, wild rosemary, broom) find their way into the organoleptic profile of this wonderful fresh goat cheese. Serving it at its prime, this little round ball of cheese had a slightly wrinkly cream-coloured coat that was almost lifting from the soft white paste when cut. It had a refreshing citrus lactic tang, and a delicate herbal note, with a creamy texture that lingered most delicately. A tiny cheese that packs a lot in!

The cheese board with Tomme aux fleurs, Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage, Reblochon, Brie de Meaux, Langres, Lavort, Le Parthenay and Rove des Garrigues.

Langres and Champagne, a heavenly pairing!

As for the wines of the night, here are my short tasting notes:

1996 Dom Perignon: I would have liked this to be more zingy, more fresh.  It was a beautifully matured champagne, with a creamy mousse, nuances of mushroom, hazelnut, honey, caramelised apple shortbread notes, but to me, it lacked energy and tasted a bit flat and unexciting. However, I only tried one of the two bottles.  According to Richard who tasted from both, both bottles were very similar. 16.5/20

2010 Mount Mary Triolet: A blend of around 75% Sauvignon Blanc, with some 20% of Semillon and some Muscadelle from Yarra Valley.  It was a harmonious wine with measured acidity, notes of honey, toast and straw, with a medium length finish. 17.5/20

1982 Grand Puy Lacoste (in magnum): A very attractive bouquet of cedar, leather and tobacco, with just a hint of graphite and herbaceous note. It was elegantly structured, with pleasant acidity and a long finish. Drinking at its peak now, but would hold for another 8-10 years in large formats. 18/20

1982 Mouton Rothschild (in magnum): A more muscular version from the 1982 vintage, with smokey, dried blackberry, cassis, and black tea notes, with just a hint of leather.  It took a while to unfold in the glass and it revealed a robust structure, with ripe velvety tannins, and a soft acidity. The finish was long.  This was a classy claret still very much in its prime and would probably take at least 5-8 years to reveal its best, depending on the format.  19.5/20

2004 Climens: I did not taste this. I was told it was delightfully fresh and not a waste at all to taste it in its youthful stage.