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PDO — Rhône-Alpes
The only Alpine goat's cheese to hold a PDO (AOP) — Chevrotin takes rarity to the level of luxury: a few dozen producers, strict seasonality, and an incomparable Alpine mildness.
Goat’s cheese from Rhône-Alpes, PDO (AOP) since 2002.
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Chevrotin is a rare French cheese: the Ministry of Agriculture presents it as the only PDO goat's cheese in Savoie, produced exclusively in Haute-Savoie and Savoie. It was granted its PDO in 2002 — a later recognition than that of its bovine cousins (Beaufort, Abondance), reflecting the long-confidential and strictly farmhouse nature of its production. Unlike the 'classic' goat's cheeses of Centre-Val de Loire — Crottin, Sainte-Maure, Valençay — which are flat, ash-coated cheeses born of urban or semi-urban traditions, Chevrotin is a truly Alpine product, tied to summer transhumance and mountain pastoral life.
Chevrotin is seasonal by nature. The goats are predominantly of the Alpine breed — making up at least 80% of the herd since 1 January 2006 — supplemented by Savoie goats. Unlike Reblochon or Beaufort, which are produced all year round (though not as good in winter), Chevrotin is a seasonal cheese: the spring and autumn milk, from periods when pastures are varied and rich, gives the cheese its aromatic complexity.
This seasonality is enshrined in the PDO specifications: the goats' forage diet is based on grazed pasture for at least five months a year, supplemented with hay, with a minimum grazing area of 1,000 m² per goat within the geographical area. Milk production per goat is capped at 800 kg of milk per year.
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The geographical area of the PDO is in reality wider than might be thought: it extends across four massifs — the Chablais, Mont-Blanc, and Aravis in Haute-Savoie, and the Bauges in Savoie — covering 115 communes in Haute-Savoie and 39 communes in Savoie, in whole or in part. The Aravis massif, with La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand and Thônes, is nonetheless its historical cradle of production — three mountain communes that embody the continuity of farmhouse goat cheesemaking in the valley.
Chevrotin's rarity stems from the small size of the herds and the strictly farmhouse nature of its production. The Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Chevrotin records 24 to 25 farmhouse producers and 5 affineurs, for around 2,200 goats and 60 to 80 tonnes of cheese a year — very little for a French PDO. This scarcity makes it precious: a true Chevrotin is a connoisseur's item, not a supermarket cheese.
Contrary to what its late recognition might suggest, Chevrotin is by no means a recent invention: written records mention a cheese called 'Chevrotin' as early as the 18th century, and its production in the alpages enjoyed a flourishing period from the 17th century to the mid-19th century, as attested by several leasing deeds of the era. The Ministry of Agriculture and the website of the Syndicat Professionnel des Fromages de Savoie confirm farmhouse production dating back to the 17th century, representing three centuries of history.
The first half of the 20th century, by contrast, marked a genuine decline: stagnant production in the alpages, and a retreat of family goat farming. A revival began in the 1950s, particularly in Manigod, driven by the decline of blue-veined cheese in favour of Chevrotin. The 2002 AOC formalised this resurgence and safeguarded a mountain tradition that had once again become fragile, kept alive by a final generation of farmhouse producers without always having an assured successor.
Appearance
Small cylinder of 250–350 g, diameter 9–12 cm, height 3–4.5 cm, thin, slightly pinkish washed rind, covered with a fine white bloom based on Geotrichum, cream-coloured paste
Aroma
Floral and herbal, subtle, without the goaty pungency of the ash-coated cheeses of the Centre
Taste
Delicate goaty flavour, lightly salted, lactic and floral notes linked to the mountain flowers on which the goats feed
Texture
Uncooked pressed paste, supple and creamy, which may have a firmer centre and small, irregular eyes
Chevrotin is not an 'ash-coated' cheese, but a washed-rind cheese. Whilst Crottin de Chavignol or Selles-sur-Cher rely on ashing (vegetable charcoal), Chevrotin develops a natural washed and brushed rind, similar to that of Reblochon or Taleggio. This gives Chevrotin a very different aromatic structure: less earthy, more floral, without the pronounced acidity of ash-coated goat's cheeses. It is a cheese that will appeal to lovers of subtle flavours rather than those seeking sheer power.
all these operations are carried out by hand, on the farm.
at the end of drying, the Chevrotin is washed with water, salted water, or acidified whey.
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Chevrotin is best enjoyed at room temperature, taken out of the fridge 20 minutes beforehand. Its aromatic finesse makes it vulnerable to the cold, which masks its floral nuances. On an Alpine cheeseboard (alongside Reblochon or Tomme de Savoie), it provides a striking contrast: lighter than Reblochon, more refined than the goat's cheeses of the Centre. Wine pairing: dry Alpine white (Apremont, Jacquère), or a white from Bugey. On a slice of walnut bread or with fresh figs, Chevrotin reveals all its floral delicacy.
Since: 2002
Area covered: Chablais, Mont-Blanc and Aravis massifs (Haute-Savoie), Bauges massif (Savoie)
Key requirements: Raw, whole milk from predominantly Alpine goats, exclusively farmhouse production, rapid coagulation (30–40 min), total maturation min. 21 days from renneting, weight 250–350 g, washed rind, fat min. 45 g/100 g
The appellation is managed by the Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Chevrotin, a defence and management organisation based in Thônes (Haute-Savoie).
Artisan cheesemaker
Farmhouse goat farm
GAEC
GAEC
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