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AOC — PDO — Rhône-Alpes
Small, round, piquant — in just a few centimetres, Picodon encapsulates the robust character of Drôme and Ardèche: sun-drenched, Mediterranean, uncompromising.
Goat’s cheese from Rhône-Alpes, PDO (AOP) since 1996.
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In the Provençal dialect of the hills of Ardèche and Drôme, 'picaoudou' means 'small, piquant cheese' — an 1863 Glossaire du patois de Die already traced the word back to 'Picau' (piquant) and the diminutive suffix 'Ou' (small). It is a tribute to its character: this cheese pricks the tongue, awakens the palate, and never lets it slumber. The earliest written records of Picodon date back to the 14th century, in Dieulefit, Valréas, Saint-Félicien, and Tournon; ever since, shepherds and farmers in this Mediterranean region have crafted this small white disc from the raw milk of goats grazing on the garrigues of Drôme and Ardèche.
Picodon embodies the robust character of the Vivarais hills. Small (60g minimum), round, with a white or ivory rind that turns blue, grey, or brown with maturation. The flavour, clean and goaty, is tinged with notes of hazelnut and mushroom and can, depending on maturity, become piquant. No shades of grey: either the cheese is gently matured, or it has a sharp bite. The Mediterranean terroir made it that way.
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Picodon was granted AOC status on 25 July 1983, recognising nearly six hundred years of ancestral practice since the earliest written records of the 14th century. Since 1996, it has held European PDO status. A modest regional production — around 140 producers for just over 450 tonnes per year —, anchored in the small artisanal cheese dairies of the villages of Drôme and Ardèche.
One village, Dieulefit (Drôme), became so renowned for its cheesemaking expertise that it gave its name to a maturation variant of Picodon: the 'Dieulefit method', or 'affiné lavé' Picodon. These particular Picodons can only be marketed from the thirtieth day following renneting (at least one month), after at least two washes in clean water — a legacy of the traditional winter preservation of surplus Picodon cheeses in earthenware pots known as biches. The result: drier cheeses with a full-bodied, pronounced flavour, at times distinctly piquant. This is the 'strong' version of Picodon.
Appearance
Small disc with rounded edges, 5-7cm Ø, 1.8-2.5cm H., minimum weight 60g; in Dieulefit/washed method: 4.5-6cm Ø, 1.3-2.5cm H., minimum weight 45g. White, ivory, blue, grey, or brown rind depending on the stage of maturation
Aroma
Goaty aromas, notes of hazelnut and mushroom, intensifying with maturation
Taste
Fresh: supple and light on the palate. Matured: more pronounced, goaty. Dieulefit/washed method: full-bodied and pronounced flavour, sometimes frankly piquant — never overly salty nor overly acidic
Texture
Supple, fine paste when the cheese is young, which can become brittle after prolonged maturation
Serving temperature
Remove from the refrigerator about 1 to 2 hours before serving
Young Picodon (8 to 12 days of maturation) — Supple and fresh on the palate, with a flavour that is still subtle.
Semi-matured to matured Picodon (12 days to over a month) — Supple, then drier on the palate as maturation progresses, with an assertive goaty taste and a full-bodied flavour.
Washed-matured Picodon, Dieulefit method (30 days minimum) — Alternation of humid confinement and washes in clean water, full-bodied and pronounced flavour, sometimes frankly piquant. For discerning palates.
A small quantity of rennet, at a temperature between 20 and 25°C
Lactic-type curd, coagulation taking 16 to 36 hours
Turned at least once during draining; unmoulding no later than 48 hours after moulding
With dry salt, on both sides
A minimum of 24 hours in a ventilated room, at a maximum temperature of 23°C
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A cheese of character that calls for culinary adventure. Fresh: a delicate introduction. Matured: a complete cheese. Dieulefit method: a more full-bodied experience, for discerning palates.
During a meal, remove the Picodon from the refrigerator about 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Accompaniments: Picodon lends itself just as well to sweet pairings, such as roasted figs and honey, as to savoury combinations depending on the season (grilled vegetables, black olives, tapenade).
Wine pairings: the vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône border the appellation's geographical area, and their wines provide its most natural pairing.
Since: 1983
Area covered: Ardèche (07): all communes; Drôme (26): all communes; canton of Valréas (Vaucluse); canton of Barjac (Gard)
Key requirements: Whole raw goat's milk, disc shape, minimum weight 60 g
Since: 1996
Area covered: Ardèche (07): all communes; Drôme (26): all communes; canton of Valréas (Vaucluse); canton of Barjac (Gard)
Key requirements: European harmonisation of the AOC specifications
The INAO specifications (IdProduit 4229) require exclusively raw goat's milk, a natural rind, and a disc shape 5 to 7 cm in diameter and 1.8 to 2.5 cm high, with release from the dairy no earlier than 12 days after renneting. The 'Dieulefit method' (or 'affiné lavé') is not a separate label but a prolonged maturation variant — a minimum of 30 days after renneting, with at least two washes in clean water —, inherited from the traditional winter preservation of surplus Picodon in earthenware pots, and covered by the same PDO (AOP).
Family-run
Large artisan cheese house
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The company presents itself as a family house established in 1920 in Dieulefit, in the Drôme provençale, originally as a “coquetier” (seller of farm produce) before specialising in maturing raw-milk farmhouse goat's cheeses collected from local farms.
Its speciality is Picodon, protected by a PDO (AOP) since 1996, which it matures using two methods: the classic method with a bloomy white rind, and the Dieulefit method, an affinage lasting more than 30 days that produces, according to the company, “a delicious taste, full of character with a supple texture”. The on-site shop also offers tastings and sales of other local products (vinegar, organic mustard from the Drôme, honey, huile d'olive de Nyons) from other producers in the region.
| Address | Quartier Graveyron et Rivales, 26220 Dieulefit, France |
| +33 4 75 91 82 00 | |
| info@picodon-cavet.fr | |
| picodon-cavet.fr | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2010. |
