Style: Hard, aged 18-24 months
Origin: Jura, France (Marcel Petit, Fort Saint-Antoine)
Milk Type: Raw Cow

Marcel Petit's flagship selection, aged in the legendary Fort Saint-Antoine cellars where humidity and temperature create optimal conditions for profound flavour development. This isn't standard Comté -it's hand-selected from 35 artisanal producers across the Jura specifically for export markets. The extended aging develops crystalline texture with intense brown butter and roasted hazelnut notes, plus that distinctive alpine earthiness that separates serious Comté from supermarket versions. Each wheel varies seasonally based on what the Montbéliarde and Simmental cows graze on—summer wheels show floral complexity while winter batches lean more savoury and concentrated.

Pairs brilliantly with aged Burgundy or Jura Chardonnay, handles bold reds surprisingly well. On the plate, it's exceptional melted into gratins, shaved over salads, or simply paired with walnuts and honey. This is Comté at its most sophisticated—the benchmark that serious cheese lovers measure others against.

Style: Cornish Nettle-Wrapped Cheese, 2-3 Weeks Aged
Origin: England
Milk Type: Pasteurised Cow's Milk 

This is the cheese that put modern Cornish cheesemaking on the map -wrapped in wild nettle leaves that create those distinctive grey-green patterns whilst developing subtle herbaceous flavours. Fresh, lemony, and gently tangy with a unique texture that's both creamy and slightly crumbly.

Flavour: Clean and bright with citrus notes, gentle saltiness, and that distinctive tang that develops from the inside out. The nettle wrapping adds earthy, herbal undertones that complement rather than overwhelm.

Best for: Stunning cheese boards, picnics, or when you want something that looks as interesting as it tastes. Perfect with Cornish wines or just enjoyed with crusty bread and fresh tomatoes.

Created by the Gray family using a recipe found in the 1600s, perfected by Lynher Dairies since the 1980s.

Milk: Raw cow
Origin: Swiss Alps
Style: Hard Alpine

L'Etivaz stands as Switzerland's most fiercely protected alpine cheese, crafted exclusively between May and October when cows feast on wild mountain flowers above 1,000 metres. Only 70 family chalets maintain production rights, following protocols unchanged since medieval times.

The magic happens in massive copper cauldrons suspended over open wood fires - a technique that creates distinctive smoky undertones impossible to replicate industrially. Each morning's fresh milk is heated to precisely 57°C while cheesemakers stir with traditional wooden paddles, judging readiness by touch alone. This ancestral knowledge passes through generations, with sons learning beside fathers in remote mountain huts.

Minimum ageing spans 5 months, though exceptional wheels mature for 13-36 months in alpine caves. The flavour journey begins with roasted hazelnuts and brown butter, evolving through dried apricot and caramelised onion, finishing with intense mineral notes that echo the limestone peaks. The paste transforms from pale ivory in younger cheeses to deep burnished gold in aged specimens, developing crunchy calcium crystals that crunch pleasantly.

For serving, shave paper-thin over warm dishes to release its full aromatic potential, or cube for tasting alongside aged Riesling. Melts magnificently in fondue or French onion soup.

Milk: Goat
Origin: Poitou-Charentes, France
Style: Soft-ripened

This historic cheese from Mothe-Saint-Héray has graced local markets since the 1840s , representing centuries of Poitou-Charentes cheesemaking tradition. The Saracens who invaded in the Middle Ages left behind their goats, establishing the region's renowned chèvre culture.

The signature chestnut leaves are harvested during autumn's first frost, steamed at precisely 90°C, then dried for three weeks before use year-round. This leaf isn't just mere decoration - it wicks moisture while imparting subtle woodland character and encouraging beneficial bacteria development.

The result is extraordinary: an ivory paste that becomes almost dangerously molten at room temperature, threatening to escape yet maintaining just enough structure. The flavour profile layers cultured cream with green onion and gentle garlic, while earthier barnyard notes add depth. The delicate, wrinkled rind develops distinctive blue-grey moulds beneath its protective leaf, creating complexity that intensifies beautifully with age.

For optimal enjoyment, bring to room temperature until it nearly oozes, then spread generously on crusty bread. Partners magnificently with Champagne, or try with a medium-weight single malt for an inspired pairing.