Fromagerie Janin
Five generations of cheesemongers since 1885, now run by brothers Marc and Mathieu Janin; Marc is Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2015. Raw-milk cheeses ripened in its own cellars, plus wines, beers and spirits.
About Mont d'Or
A seasonal soft cheese of the high Doubs, sold as Mont d'Or or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs. A band of spruce bark is wrapped around it at the dairy, and it ripens in a round spruce box. Wheels run from 480 g to 3.2 kg, in boxes 11 to 33 cm across. Making is allowed only from 15 August to 15 March, with sales from 10 September to 10 May.
Made in: Haut-Doubs communes with pastures always above 700 m, on the slopes of the Mont d'Or (1,461 m) and the upper plateaus of the Jura massif
On the plate
Creamy and slightly runny, with the mild mushroom and cream of the milk lifted by the resin and woody scent of the spruce band. Le Guide du Fromage also notes hazelnut. The surface forms soft folds as the cheese settles in its slightly smaller box.
Rind: washed, orange and sticky
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Mont d'Or
Topped-up Savagnin (ouillé) Jura
Our pickMont d'Or tastes of mushrooms in cream with a touch of spruce from its band, and runs soft and creamy. A savagnin kept topped up in the cask, with no veil, is fresher than vin jaune, and its high acidity and mineral lift cut through the cream.
The grapes behind these winesSavagnin
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Essencia
Cheese shop on place Notre-Dame in Poligny, run by Philippe Bouvret, under a barrel-shaped wooden ceiling. It sells Comté aged up to 33 months, regional cheeses, charcuterie and Jura wines.
Crèmerie Pianet Humbey
Family cheese shop since 1950 in Lons-le-Saunier with more than 150 cheeses from cow, goat and sheep milk, regional specialities made in house, and a vending machine outside. Open seven days.
Juramonts Comté Crèmerie
Shop in the centre of Poligny created in 1986 by the Juramonts union of Comté fruitières, selling the Comtés of its member dairies next to Morbier, Bleu de Gex and raclette.
Cheese experiences nearby
Maison du Comté
Interpretive centre on Comté in Poligny, in three buildings for the milk producers, cheesemakers and ageing cellars. Films, sensory games and interactive displays lead to a tasting of two Comtés.
Guided visit of the Juraflore Comté cellars
Guided walk through the Comté ageing cellars inside the Fort des Rousses, with a tasting of Comtés of different profiles at the end. Online reservation is compulsory.
Early visit of the Plasne fruitière
Morning visit of the Plasne cooperative: the workshop, the ageing cellars and a tasting of its Comté, Morbier and Tomme. Reservation is required; call the fruitière to book.
Routes du Comté
Network of farms, fruitières, ageing cellars and cheese museums that welcome visitors, with themed circuits on foot, by bike, car, ski, motorbike or motorhome. The Comté trade body that runs it is based in Poligny.
Open day at the Plasne fruitière
Once a year the Plasne fruitière opens to the public with guided visits of the factory, a local producers market and a fondue served on booking.
Lons-le-Saunier Thursday market
The main food market of Lons-le-Saunier, held on Thursday morning with cheese among the fresh and regional produce. Other stalls fill place du 11 Novembre all day, with a smaller producers market on Wednesday evenings.
Mont d'Or: questions
Is Mont d'Or the same as Vacherin du Haut-Doubs?
Yes. The appellation is registered under both names, and INAO adds that it was once nicknamed fromage de boete.
When can you buy Mont d'Or?
Production runs from 15 August to 15 March and sales run from 10 September to 10 May.
Why is it in a wooden box?
It is wrapped in a spruce bark band and ripens in a round spruce box, which gives the cheese its resinous, woody note.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Jura
Plan the trip
Visit Mont d'Or country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
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Sources: protection register, www.inao.gouv.fr, www.leguidedufromage.com. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.