Tasting notes from our comparative tasting of Roquefort producers
For details on individual producers please see our article: The Roquefort Files.
For a summary of the tasting findings, please see our article: The Roquefort-philes.
Société – Societé1863 – 7/10
Crumbly texture. Green mould that’s a little sharp. Buttery. Lingering finish. A bit simple.
Société – Caves Baragnardes – 7/10
Crumbly texture yet creamy in the mouth. Green mould. Mushroomy rind (flavour). Soft, sweet flavours. Very accessible.
Société – Cave Abeille – 7/10
Very rounded and buttery flavours. Green mould with a blue tinge. A Roquefort for beginners.
Société – Cave des Templiers – 8/10
More earthy than the other of the Société’s Roqueforts. The mould is green and tastes a little nutty. Soft and accessible with an earthy finish. A bit “Roquefort by numbers”.
Papillon – Rouge – 8/10
Grainy, salty rind that has quite a harsh acidic element (I scribbled “vurp”). The paste is noticeably salty with underlying earthiness. Lacks depth & umami. Amanda found it very fruity, and her favourite of the line-up thus far.
Papillon – Revelation – 6/10
As per the Rouge, there’s an acidic sharpness to this. The mid palate is softer and more balanced, yet a bit grainy. Miky. Light bread notes. There’s a sharp, cough inducing element from the mould that catches the back of the throat.
Papillon – Taste Noir – 7/10
There was a strange crunchiness to this one (without being overly salty). Very nutty rind; earthy and a little powdery. Lingering roasted nuts and fleeting notes of dried fruit. I suspect this one was a little older and dried out vs the others.
Papillon – Coccinelle – 8/10
The mould was a little musky with aged cream flavours to the paste and fruity apple high notes. The rind was very cow-y. Soft lingering flavours.
Les Fromageries Occitanes – La Pastourelle – 7/10
The paste was a bit grainy. Nutty with subtle mould and balanced saltiness. A bit fresh and came across as quite young & perhaps in need of a bit more maturing.
Vernières – Rocabret – 7/10
Creamy to the point of sogginess with a spreadable paste. The mould was green and powdery.
Gabriel Coulet – Le Gabriel Coulet – 8/10Spreadable soft paste. Very fresh and lactic. Balanced / harmonious. Light nut husk flavours with some savoury broth notes alongside the creamy lactic.
Gabriel Coulet – La Petit Cave – 9/10
This one has a bit of character with prominent mould influence, yet balanced. Seems a style for grown-ups (not for beginners). A little pungent with floral / fruity notes. Almost overpowering, but one of my favourites in the line-up.
Carles – Tradition – 9/10
Soft paste. A pungency that hits the nose. Salty. The mould is almost black and looks like truffle. Long finish of meaty / fish stock.
Le Vieux Berger – Le Vieux Berger – 9/10
Possibly the most balanced and integrated of the line-up. Lactic. The blue takes a while to kick in, but is not overwhelming. Balanced and harmonious.
Maison Victoir – La Cave Blanche – 7/10
Spreadable texture. Tangy and sharp, almost citrus flavours with underlying earthy mushroom. A sharp tang to the mould.
And a special thanks to the army of ants that provided an hour of entertainment carrying away the crumbs and cleaning the cheese board while we digested.
