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AOC — PDO — Midi-Pyrénées
Bleu des Causses: a cheese from the natural caves of Aveyron, a tradition documented since the 16th century in the limestone rock of the Causses.
Blue cheese from Midi-Pyrénées, PDO (AOP) since 1996.
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The first written record of Bleu des Causses dates from 1552, in the Dictionnaire des institutions, mœurs et coutumes du Rouergue, which records transactions taking place at the fair of Creissels, then the administrative seat of the Millau bailiwick: made for generations in the natural caves of Aveyron under the name Bleu de l'Aveyron, it was already distinguished from Roquefort by its cow's milk, whilst the latter remained reserved for sheep's milk.
Production intensified following the law of 26 July 1925, which restricted the Roquefort designation exclusively to sheep's milk cheeses matured in the commune of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon: producers of cow's milk blue cheeses therefore had to organise under another name. A producers' syndicate was formed as early as 1932, replaced in 1934 by the Groupement Syndical des Fabricants de fromage Bleu de l'Aveyron, which registered the collective trademark 'Valmont'. The name Bleu des Causses took hold following the decree of 29 October 1946; the cheese achieved official recognition by decree on 13 September 1947, followed by appellation d'origine status through the judgment of the Tribunal civil de Millau on 19 November 1953. It became an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) in 1979, and then a European PDO in 1996.
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The Causses of Aveyron are high limestone plateaux shaped by erosion, which carved out the valleys of the Lot, the Aveyron and the Tarn as well as vast underground cavities — the natural caves where Bleu des Causses has been matured for centuries. The appellation's geographical area covers almost the entirety of the département of Aveyron and parts of the départements of Lot, Lozère, Gard and Hérault. Dairy cows must graze for at least 120 days a year, across a minimum area of 30 ares per animal — a requirement of the specifications that firmly roots production in local pastures.
Bleu des Causses is inseparable from the natural caves of the Causses, veritable subterranean cathedrals. These cavities have served as natural maturing cellars for centuries, creating a culinary mystique around the cheese. New generations of affineurs perpetuate this connection with the caves, some of which have been used for several decades, turning the cheese into a true ambassador of Aveyron's geological heritage.
Appearance
Ivory-white paste with evenly distributed greenish-blue veining, light orange to brown natural rind covered with a fine white bloom
Aroma
Understated, subtle in comparison with other blue cheeses
Taste
Clean and savoury, with characteristic blue cheese aromas, which may present a slight bitterness without excessive piquancy or excess salt
Texture
Creamy and melt-in-the-mouth, with a slight suppleness
the specifications permit both, at the cheesemaker's discretion
from 70 days — the minimum period required to bear the appellation — to 130 days depending on the producers and affineurs, with the paste gaining in creaminess and aromatic power over time
raw or thermised milk from dairy cows grazing for at least 120 days a year
inoculation with lactic ferments and Penicillium roqueforti, curd set between 31°C and 35°C exclusively with rennet
cutting of the curd, draining for 2 to 4 days in perforated moulds with several turnings
dry salt applied to the heel and upper surface, repeated the following day
needle perforation to aerate the paste and enable the development of Penicillium roqueforti
analytical and organoleptic testing by sampling, carried out from the 70th day following renneting
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Since: 1979
Area covered: Aveyron (almost in its entirety) & parts of the départements of Lot, Lozère, Gard and Hérault
Key requirements: Raw or thermised milk, Penicillium roqueforti inoculation, minimum maturation of 70 days (up to 130 days), 120 days of grazing/year, 1,800 kg concentrates/cow/year max, GMO-free
Since: 1996
Area covered: Aveyron (almost in its entirety) & parts of the départements of Lot, Lozère, Gard and Hérault
Key requirements: Specifications tightened in 2018: 30 ares of pasture/cow, ban on urea-based feed, minimum 3 kg of hay/cow/day outside the grazing period
Producers' union
GAEC
GAEC
Major house
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A farm in Les Monts-Verts (Lozère), managed by Jonathan Delcros, committed to organic farming. In autumn 2022, the GAEC joined the initiative led by the appellation's ODG to revive raw-milk farmhouse Bleu des Causses, by launching its own organic production.
| Address | Ginestoux, 48200 Les Monts-Verts, France |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2019. |
