L'Ami du Chambertin
- Producer
- Laiterie de la Cote
- Country
- France
- Region
- Burgundy
- Size
- 3.5 ins diameter, 1.5 in high,
- Weight
- 8-9 oz
- Website
- Milk
- Cow
- Classification
- Soft
- Rennet
- Animal
- Rind
- Washed
Made in the village of Gevrey Chambertin, in Bourgogne, France, L'Ami du Chambertin was the invention of Raymond Gaudry in the 1950s. It is a washed rind cheese, made from pasteurized cow's milk.
Produced in a similar way to Epoisses, L'Ami du Chambertin is washed regularly with a brine solution and then, after three weeks of age, finished off with brine containing a substantial quantity of Marc de Bourgogne, a type of brandy. These applications encourage the growth of the bacterium linens culture that gives the cheese its distinctive orange, sticky rind and pungent aroma.
The texture of L'Ami du Chambertin is smooth and creamy and yielding. Flavors are a delicious balance of salt and sweet, milky, lactic notes. There are also hints of spice and bacon.