2.4 to 2.6 pound wheel - Savoie, France

Semi-hard cheese made from raw cow's milk, and aged 3 months. The cheese hails from Massif des Bauges in Haute Savoie, and iis specific geographic origin is protected by an AOC label. The cheese is made in Alpine huts at high altitude using raw cow's milk collected on site. The wheel is less thick than the Tomme de Savoie, with a natural grey mold on the rind. Herbal and grassy with a sweet caramel aroma. Weights approximately 2.5 pounds.


Laurent Capt's family has been practicing the art of cheese making since the early 1900's. Generation after generation has shown unwavering commitment to both quality and tradition. The end results show both a passion and a rare dedication for the art.

Cheese fabrication is done in three fruitieres, or mountain cheese facilities, located on the plateau des Bornes at an altitude of over 3000 feet in Haute Savoie. A fruitiere is the place in the village where the milk is collected morning and evening. So, it is where the mil producer sells his product in order to obtain the "fruit" of his or her labor. .

The raw milk, still warm, is poured into a copper cauldron. This pouring of the milk is caller le coulee in French, and it is a consecrated moment; it is the moment when the master cheese maker begins practicing his magic.

These three facilities are located in the villages of Arbusigny, Le Chaumet, and Menthonnex-en-Bornes. The mountainous location of the fruitieres gives close access to quality raw milk and allows processing to begin within a few hours of harvest. Like in cooking, it is the quality of the ingredients and the fresh preparation, as well as tradition, that makes all the difference in the outcome.