Commentary
Comte is made in the Jura mountains on the French side of the Swiss / French border. It is from the Guyere family and is fairly to similar to Gruyere itself, although lighter in character with more complexity and finesse. It is artisan made and uses the raw milk from Montbeliarde and French Simmentale cows which are fed exclusively on grass and hay, with fermented fodder being banned.
Comte was originally made as a way of storing milk during the long, harsh winter, and was made large enough to be sufficient for a whole family's use for this time. A lot of milk is needed to make each 30-48kg cheese, on average about 500 litres and so the farmers used to unite to form co-operatives, as they still do today.
The flora of the Jura region plays a crucial part in the character of this cheese, with the abundance of beautiful flowers and grasses giving a rich complexity to the flavour. This can be particularly noticable in the Alpage cheeses which are made only in the summer months in dairies which are above the winter snow line. In winter, the cows descend into the valley and if cheese is made at all, it is in the laiteries - village dairies.
Once made by the co-operatives, the Comtes are sold to affineurs who have caves designed for optimum storage and are exceptionally skilled at maturing these cheeses. Paxton & Whitfield Comte comes from the cheeses set aside by the Fromagerie Androuet from world-renowned Affineur Marcel Petite whose family have been maturing Comte for five generations.
Product Detail
Type of Milk
Cow
Pasteurisation
Unpasteurised
Vegetarian
No
Country
Product of France
Region
Franche Comte
Organic
No
Flavour
Fruity and complex
Recommended Drink
Jura Wines
Weight
250g
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