The terroir and special cows
The story of Comté, a semi-hard
mountain cheese with a pale, creamy yellow
interior, begins with the fertile soils of the
Jura Massif. The climate and soil—the
region’s terroir—are perfect for an abundance of grasses and flowers. These make
superb grazing areas for milk cows, which,
according to the appellation d’origine con-trôlée (AOC) regulations for the region, can
only be Montbéliarde or French Simmental
cows for the making of Comté.
Rivoire Jacquemin works with 400
local milk producers, each with about
25 cows. These gentle animals are
lovingly cared for. For example,
AOC rules require fresh, natural
feed, and ample room for grazing.
The farmers sell their milk
daily to local fruitières, who are masters of
converting the milk to cheese. This tradi-
tional system of close, trusting relationships
between the farmers and the cheesemakers
is essential to making fine Comté.
The cow’s milk is gently warmed in large
copper vats, animal rennet is added to cause
the milk to coagulate into curds and the
curds are slowly separated from the liquid
whey. The fresh curds are placed into molds,
pressed to remove the remaining whey and
then left to mature. These new wheels stay
refrigerated at the fruitière for two to four
weeks, receiving an occasional brushing with
salt and rinsing to create the cheese’s hard
outer crust.
The master cheesemakers
Next, the rounds from the fruitières are
transported to affineurs. The aging process
involves attentive care and slow maturation;
the cheese, resting on spruce planks, is kept
at precisely controlled temperatures. During
this time, the rounds are given constant
care: rinsed, rubbed with sea salt, flipped,
sampled and monitored.
Time is critical here. AOC regulations
require Comté to be aged for at least four
months, and many cheesemakers opt to
release their cheeses just then, to be
consumed young and as a commodity. Rivoire Jacquemin uses the
slower traditional method, specializing in aged Comte, with
some being carefully kept for as
long as 30 months.
In developing a unique flavor profile for
Kirkland Signature Comté, Costco’s cheese
buyers held numerous meetings and tastings
in search of something rich, complex and
filled with personality. The result: Our
Comté is aged for at least eight months.
There’s one last important step. We
work closely with an internationally
acclaimed cheesemaker and affineur, Hervé
Mons, to taste each batch before it becomes
Kirkland Signature. There’s no substitute
for his degree of expertise.
I found the history, process and people
behind our Kirkland Signature Comté fascinating. Each person along the way—the
farmer, the fruitière and the affineur—is a
devoted expert in what they do. It’s an old-world approach that makes a wonderful
treat for modern tables. Item #821471. C
Curtis Adamson is a Costco cheese buyer.
Connection editor Tim Talevich contributed
to this story.
C
UR
TI
S
A
D
AMS
O
U
R
TIS
A
DAM
S
ON
copper vats, animal rennet is added to cause
Comté is aged in precisely controlled
rooms for perfect results.
More stories on page 38