I've been on a soft cheese kick this year, tasting as many as I can get my hands on and scoring them all on a 20-point scale. This one came in at 17, which is the highest score I've given anything so far.
Délice de Bourgogne from Lincet. Triple cream out of Burgundy.
On the nose you get light mushroom and a gentle funk. The rind is doing some heavy lifting and you can actually see two tiers in the rind, which I think means it was patted down during aging and left to evolve longer than your average triple cream. Buttery aroma underneath, wrapped up in that mushroomy savory rind character.
First bite is all about texture. Unbelievably silky. The butteriness from the nose comes through perfectly and I'm realizing more and more that I love when a cheese tastes like it smells. This one absolutely does. The center paste is rich, smooth, gently salty. I had it on a board alongside a Brillat-Savarin and the difference was obvious. The Brillat is good, but it's a one note melody compared to this sympathy in my opinion.
Then the rind shows its teeth. Out of nowhere there's pepper and spice. I actually had to go back and re-taste just to make sure I wasn't imagining things. It's not just peppery, it's genuinely spicy in a way that completely clears your senses, almost like horseradish does. I think the contrast is what makes it special. The buttery salty center acts like a cooling counterpoint to that spicy expressive rind. Together it's dramatic and seriously fun to eat.
Scoring breakdown for anyone curious:
- Aroma 2/3
- Flavor 6.5/7
- Texture 3.5/4
- Balance 2/3
- Craftsmanship 2/2
- Buy Again 1/1
If you haven't tried it, find one. Let it sit out for a solid 45 minutes before you cut into it, I promise it's worth the wait!
by winery_bound_expat