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AOC — PDO — Rhône-Alpes
In the forests and karsts of the Vercors, this discreet blue cheese perpetuates a cheese-making tradition attested since the 14th century — the least known of the great French blues, and perhaps the most delicate.
Blue cheese from Rhône-Alpes, PDO (AOP) since 2001.
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Until the 14th century, the Lord of Sassenage — owner of the parishes of Lans-en-Vercors, Villard-de-Lans, Méaudre and Autrans — had granted himself an exclusive right over this cheese: he collected it as a tax and resold it for his own profit. On 28 June 1338, a charter from Baron Albert de Sassenage put an end to this privilege and authorised the inhabitants of the Vercors to sell their cheese freely. It was this gradual reclaiming of commercial freedom that allowed Sassenage to begin making a name for itself beyond its production area.
For six centuries, this discreet cheese circulated in regional markets — collected from farms by travelling merchants until the early 20th century, then carried down on men's backs to Grenoble to be sold. King François I loved it "with passion", according to Pierre Larousse's Grand Dictionnaire universel; Henri IV, passing through Grenoble, reportedly found it so good that he had it sent to him in Paris every month; Diderot mentions it in his Encyclopédie. Yet it remained "the confidential blue" — less well known than Bleu d'Auvergne, less popular than Roquefort.
It obtained regional AOC status in 1998, then European PDO status in 2001. Production remains limited: 199 tonnes in 2017, far below the volumes of the great French blue cheeses. It is a blue for the initiated.
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Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is made exclusively from cow's milk, but with a distinctive feature: it blends the milk of three local breeds adapted to the mountain environment — Montbéliarde, Abondance, and Villard-de-Lans, an endangered heritage breed to which the PDO has brought renewed dynamism. The cows graze for at least 150 days a year on the massif's alpine pastures, at an altitude of over 800 metres, within the area of the Parc naturel régional du Vercors.
Appearance
Cylindrical wheel 27-30cm Ø, slightly damp natural beige-grey rind, ivory-white paste with irregular blue-green veining
Aroma
Subtle, damp forest mushroom, earth, delicate woody notes, absence of pungency
Taste
Creamy, mild, balanced, less sharp than other French blues, notes of toasted hazelnut and cool cellar
Texture
Supple, melting paste, fine and irregular veining, creamy without running
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage fermier — Made directly on the farm, exclusively from raw milk.
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage laitier — Made in a dairy or cooperative, from raw or thermised milk.
Exclusively with rennet, between 31 and 35°C, no later than 48 hours after milk collection
Bottomless cylindrical moulds 28cm in diameter, filled in successive layers, turned at least 4 times during draining
With dry salt, in individual salting containers, at least once on each face, for a maximum of 3 days
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A delicate blue for discerning enthusiasts. Best enjoyed between 10 and 12°C, taken out of the refrigerator 45 minutes beforehand — cool without excessive chill that would mask the flavours. Its fluid texture requires a very sharp knife tip, without pressing.
Wine pairings: Dry white wines from the Vercors (dry Clairette de Die), Condrieu, light white Côtes du Rhône, dry farmhouse cider.
Fruit pairings: Fresh white grapes, Savoie pears, Vercors chestnut honey.
Bread classic: Walnut bread or rustic wholemeal bread.
Since: 1998
Area covered: Massif du Vercors: 13 communes in Isère (Villard-de-Lans, Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors, etc.) + 13 communes in Drôme (La Chapelle-en-Vercors, Vassieux-en-Vercors, etc.)
Key requirements: Cow's milk (Montbéliarde, Abondance, Villard-de-Lans breeds), cylinder 27-30cm Ø / 7-9cm height / 4-4.5kg, minimum 21 days' maturation
Since: 2001
Area covered: Massif du Vercors: 13 communes in Isère (Villard-de-Lans, Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors, etc.) + 13 communes in Drôme (La Chapelle-en-Vercors, Vassieux-en-Vercors, etc.)
Key requirements: Identical specifications
The PDO (AOP) specifications (INAO) specify: cow's milk exclusively, from the local Montbéliarde, Abondance and Villard-de-Lans breeds — raw milk mandatory for farmhouse production, raw or thermised permitted in dairies; thin-bloomed rind, white to grey-blue; minimum maturation of 21 days from renneting, in cellars at 9-14°C and humidity above 90%.
Joint authority
Traditional restaurant
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