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AOC — PDO — Franche-Comté
Since the 14th century, the cellars of the Haut-Jura have guarded the secret of a subtle blue cheese with delicate veining — France's only blue that is never harsh.
Blue cheese from Franche-Comté, PDO (AOP) since 1996.
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The history of Bleu de Gex is woven from two lineages. The first is monastic: the origins of 'bleu-gris de Septmoncel' are said to date back to the 13th century, arising from the cheesemaking techniques of the monks of the abbaye de Saint-Claude. The second stems from a political act: in 1343, Humbert II, Dauphin du Viennois, ceded his lands to the King of France; Dauphiné migrants who rejected this annexation brought to the Jura the method for making Sassenage-style 'bleu persillé', then practised in the Vercors. These two influences converged to produce the cheese known today.
In the 16th century, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, ruler of the region at the time, reportedly made it his favourite cheese during his travels through the Jura. This royal favour helped spread the cheese's reputation far beyond the mountain region.
For centuries, making Bleu de Gex remained women's work: unlike Gruyère de Comté, whose heavy wheels required a physical strength that only cooperative fruitières could muster, Bleu de Gex involved less strenuous handling and was left to farm women. It came to be known as 'women's cheese', made on farms in the communes of Septmoncel and Les Moussières, the cradles of the cheese. This family craft, passed down from mother to daughter, endowed Bleu de Gex with a heritage that large industrial dairies have never succeeded in erasing.
In the face of a commercial dispute brought before the courts, the tribunal de Nantua delivered a ruling on 26 July 1935 defining Bleu de Gex and establishing its exclusive production area — making Bleu de Gex the first raw cow's milk cheese to achieve official recognition and legal protection in France, even before the formal introduction of AOC status. The decree of 20 September 1977 formalised this judgment into the AOC 'Bleu du Haut-Jura, Bleu de Gex ou Bleu de Septmoncel'. The European PDO followed on 21 June 1996.
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Today, Bleu de Gex is one of the most exclusive PDO cheeses in France. Around fifty milk producers, four fruitières and a single farmhouse dairy make up the entire sector. Every step — from producing milk on natural pastures to maturation in humid cellars — takes place in the Massif des Monts du Jura, straddling the Ain and Jura departments, mainly at altitudes between 800 and 1,200 metres. This deliberate rarity is the very guarantee of its character.
Appearance
Wheel with flat faces and rounded edges, weighing 6 to 9 kg with a diameter of 31 to 35 cm. Thin, dry, whitish to yellowish rind, slightly floury, marked by the imprint of the moulding cloth. White to ivory paste with a slightly open texture, marbled with fairly pale blue-green moulds.
Aroma
Dominant aromas of cream and vanilla, with a mushroom note reminiscent of chanterelles.
Taste
Milder than most blue-veined cheeses, with a pleasant hint of bitterness; a balance between chalky notes and softer areas.
Texture
Unpressed paste with slight openings — draining continues during salting rather than through pressing.
Whole raw milk from Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows, or crosses between the two breeds
The milk must not be renneted at a temperature above 30°C
Carried out by hand individually, in a 36 cm diameter mould lined with jute or linen cloth
Without pressing: further draining is achieved by keeping the cheese in salt for several days
Between the 7th and 15th day from production, to aerate the paste and allow the blue mould to develop
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Bleu de Gex is best enjoyed between June and November, at the height of the alpine pasture milk season. Its gentleness makes it an accessible blue for those wary of overly pungent flavours. It takes its place on a Comtois cheese board alongside Comté and Morbier, forming the region's classic triptych.
At table, it pairs naturally with Jura vins jaunes — Château-Chalon or Arbois — whose nutty, oxidative notes harmonise with finesse. A white Côtes-du-Jura Chardonnay is also a wonderful match. For a bolder pairing, a vin de paille or a Sauternes reveals the milky complexity of the cheese. In cooking, Bleu de Gex melts remarkably well, flavouring sauces and gratins without overpowering other flavours.
Since: 1977
Area covered: Massif des Monts du Jura — Ain (01) and Jura (39)
Key requirements: Raw milk, Montbéliarde/French Simmental breeds, production and maturation within a defined area
Legal protection as early as 1935.
Since: 1996
Area covered: Massif des Monts du Jura — Ain (01) and Jura (39)
Key requirements: Specifications harmonised with European law
Association
Co-operative cheese dairy
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