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PGI — Rhône-Alpes
Saint-Marcellin
Small creamy disc from the Dauphiné since 1461 — a royal destiny, flavours of the Vercors.
Bloomy-rind cheese from Rhône-Alpes, PGI (IGP) since 2013.
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PGI — Rhône-Alpes
Small creamy disc from the Dauphiné since 1461 — a royal destiny, flavours of the Vercors.
Bloomy-rind cheese from Rhône-Alpes, PGI (IGP) since 2013.
Saint-Marcellin is among the oldest French cheeses mentioned in writing: the account books of Louis XI's stewardship attest to its presence on the royal tables of Plessis-lès-Tours and the Louvre as early as 1461. The product specification records that the Dauphin Louis already enjoyed this cheese at the château de Bouquéron and had Louise de Savoie taste it during the princely betrothal at the château de la Côte-Saint-André. Four centuries later, a minister of Louis-Philippe, Auguste Casimir-Perier, sealed the legend: in 1863, tasting the cheese at the Beaucroissant fair, he is said to have exclaimed: "It is delicious, you shall send me some every week to the château" — his son Jean, who became President of the Republic in 1894, in turn lamented that he could no longer enjoy it ripened to perfection.
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Named after the commune of Saint-Marcellin (Isère), which was its initial trading centre, this cheese is produced on the east bank of the Rhône, in an area backed by the Vercors massif, between Grenoble and Valence. The PGI area extends across 274 communes (76 in Drôme, 185 in Isère, 13 in Savoie), where forage land accounts for 40 to 80% of the utilised agricultural area. The milk comes primarily from Montbéliarde (66%) and Holstein (25%) breeds, with the dairy herds fed a predominantly grass-based diet, alternating between pasture and cowshed.
The Saint-Marcellin PGI sector currently brings together 134 dairy farmers and 16 processors, including 6 farmhouse producers — a network that the Union des Fabricants du Saint-Marcellin, established in 1971, and later the Comité pour le Saint-Marcellin (now C2MF), founded in 1994, have organised for over half a century. Around 2,497 tonnes were marketed in 2020. The cheese remains a classic of Lyonnais and Dauphiné tables: enjoyed on its own, it is also featured in tarts, gratins, or the marcelline, a regional speciality made with puff pastry. Its recognition as a PGI, granted in 2013, cemented this renown.
Appearance
Cylinder with rounded edges (disc) 6.5 to 8 cm in diameter, 2 to 2.5 cm in height, weighing at least 80 g; thin, sometimes slightly wrinkled rind, white, beige to grey-blue; cream-coloured paste, smooth and uniform when cut, which may contain a few holes
Aroma
Clean lactic aromas, without notes of ammonia or bitterness, consistent with the fruity and honeyed notes perceived on the palate
Taste
Clean flavour, with a balanced aromatic richness — fruity and honey notes — predominantly lactic, moderately salted
Texture
Depending on the type of drying, a firm texture for Saint-Marcellin "sec" (dry matter ≥ 44%, local tradition) or melting, even creamy, for "moelleux" (dry matter ≥ 40%)
The whole cow's milk, raw or thermised (never pasteurised), is renneted within 48 hours of reception, then curdles in individual basins or vats of no more than 200 litres for 12 to 24 hours — pre-draining and deferring curd use by freezing are prohibited. Moulding, in individual moulds with rounded edges (pusher-type moulding is banned), takes place only once the acidity is sufficient. Draining in the mould lasts at least 14 hours, with at least one turning, after which the cheese is dry-salted on both sides, the first salting occurring no later than 12 hours after moulding. Ageing takes place in three phases — sweating, drying, then hâloir (7 to 14°C) —, with at least three turnings in total; the cheese cannot leave the dairy before the tenth day following renneting.
Saint-Marcellin "sec": more extensive drying, dry matter greater than 44% — the most traditional presentation, with a firm texture and better keeping qualities.
Saint-Marcellin "moelleux": more moderate drying, dry matter greater than 40% — a supple, even creamy texture, with more pronounced aromas.
Of the sector's 16 processors, 6 are farmhouse producers; the other 10 are dairies and cheese-makers.
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Temperature: Take the cheese out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before serving — the cold numbs its fruity and honeyed aromas.
Occasion: On its own on a cheese board, as an aperitif, or cooked — particularly in tarts, gratins, or in a marcelline, a regional speciality made with puff pastry.
Accompaniments: Served firm ("sec") for longer keeping, or runny ("moelleux") by storing it in an airtight container at the bottom of the refrigerator.
Since: 2013
Area covered: 274 communes — 185 in Isère, 76 in Drôme, 13 in Savoie (east bank of the Rhône, Vercors massif)
Key requirements: Raw or thermised whole cow's milk (pasteurisation prohibited); curdling 12 to 24 hours; draining minimum 14 hours; leaving the dairy no earlier than 10 days of ageing; diameter 65 to 80 mm, height 20 to 25 mm, minimum weight 80 g
The PGI (IGP) initiative is spearheaded by the Comité pour le Saint-Marcellin et le Saint-Félicien (C2MF), an association under the French law of 1901 recognised as a defence and management organisation (ODG), which succeeded the Union des Fabricants du Saint-Marcellin founded in 1971.
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