Fromagerie Deruelle
Family cheese shop in central Bordeaux, open since 2011, known for cheese and charcuterie platters to order. Bordeaux Tourisme names its organic farm cheese Escadut as the shop's specialty.
About Ossau-Iraty
A pressed, uncooked sheep's milk cheese made in the Basque Country and Béarn, not in the Gironde; Bordeaux Tourisme names it as the specialty of the two Beillevaire cheese shops in Bordeaux. The milk comes from local Basco-béarnaise, Manech tête rousse and Manech tête noire ewes. Farms use the raw milk of their own flock, dairies raw or thermised milk from many flocks. Each wheel is stamped with a ewe's head, in profile for dairy cheeses and face on for farm cheeses. It has been an AOC since 1980 and an AOP since 1996. The small wheels weigh 2 to 3 kg, measure 18 to 20 cm across and 7 to 10 cm high; the large farm wheels weigh 4 to 7 kg.
Made in: The Basque Country and Béarn
On the plate
INAO describes a hard rind, yellow-orange to grey, and a pale paste that is firm and melting. The balance sits between fat and acidity, salted without excess, with hazelnut often present and a floral or fruity nose.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Ossau-Iraty
Merlot-led red from Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac Bordeaux
Our pickThese Merlot-led Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac reds have medium body and tannin with cherry or blackcurrant fruit. The cheese has a firm, melting paste that INAO describes as salted without excess, with hazelnut often present.
Cabernet-led Pauillac, full-bodied with firm tannin Bordeaux
Our pickThese Pauillac reds are Cabernet Sauvignon-led, full-bodied, with firm to high tannin, high acidity and blackcurrant fruit. INAO describes the cheese as firm and melting, salted without excess. Its syndicate suggests structured reds, naming South-West ones such as Madiran.
Cabernet-led Saint-Julien, full-bodied with firm tannin Bordeaux
Our pickThese Saint-Julien reds are Cabernet Sauvignon-led, full-bodied, with firm to high tannin, high acidity and cassis. INAO describes the cheese as firm and melting, salted without excess. Its syndicate suggests structured reds, naming South-West ones such as Madiran.
Sauternes, noble-rot sweet white Bordeaux
Our pickThese Sauternes are sweet, high in acidity and full-bodied, with apricot and honey notes. INAO calls the cheese salted without excess and often hazelnutty, so sweet fruit meets salt and nut.
Semillon-led white Graves, barrel-fermented in new oak Bordeaux
Our pickThese Semillon-led Graves whites are full-bodied, high in acidity and barrel-fermented in new oak. La Mission's palate lists toasted hazelnuts, which echo the hazelnut INAO finds in the cheese. Its syndicate suggests full-bodied whites, naming Jurançon.
Cabernet-led Margaux, full-bodied with firm tannin Bordeaux
Our pickThese Margaux reds are Cabernet Sauvignon-led and full-bodied, with firm or high tannin, high acidity and blackcurrant or cassis fruit. INAO describes the cheese as firm and melting, salted without excess. Its syndicate suggests structured reds, naming South-West ones such as Madiran.
Cabernet-led Saint-Estèphe, full-bodied with firm tannin Bordeaux
Our pickThese Saint-Estèphe reds are Cabernet Sauvignon-led, full-bodied, with firm tannin, high acidity and blackcurrant fruit. INAO describes the cheese as firm and melting, salted without excess. Its syndicate suggests structured reds, naming South-West ones such as Madiran.
Merlot-led Pomerol, full-bodied with firm tannin Bordeaux
Our pickThese Pomerol reds are Merlot-led, full-bodied and firm in tannin, with blackberry, black cherry or plum fruit. INAO describes the cheese as firm and melting, salted without excess, often with hazelnut. Its syndicate suggests structured reds, naming South-West ones such as Madiran.
The grapes behind these winesCabernet SauvignonMerlotSemillon
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Fromagerie Beillevaire, Les Grands Hommes
Bordeaux shop of the Beillevaire house from the Marais Breton Vendéen, which makes, ages, sources and sells cheese, butter and cream. Bordeaux Tourisme names Ossau-Iraty as its specialty.
Fromagerie Beillevaire, Les Chartrons
Another Bordeaux shop of the Beillevaire house, on cours Portal in the Chartrons quarter, selling the house's cheese, butter and cream. It opens on Sunday mornings.
La Fromagerie de Pierre
Shop of Pierre Rollet-Gérard, who also has a stall at the Libourne covered market, specialising in raw-milk farm cheeses selected by season, with fine groceries and charcuterie.
Cheese experiences nearby
Marché des Capucins
Covered market in Saint-Michel, first held as a weekly market in 1749. Cheese and dairy stalls sell sheep's-milk tommes, Périgord goat cheeses, lightly salted butter and farm yoghurts.
Wine and cheese pairing visit at Château Lauduc
Visit of a family estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers, 15 minutes by car from central Bordeaux: a 45-minute tour of the property, then four of its wines tasted alongside four artisan cheeses.
Marché du quai des Chartrons
Riverside market of about 70 stalls on the Garonne quay. The Fromagerie du Roy, a Landiras goat and cow dairy, lists a raw-milk cheese stall here on Sunday mornings.
Ossau-Iraty: questions
How long is Ossau-Iraty aged?
Le Guide du Fromage gives a minimum of 80 to 120 days, and the French Wikipedia article on the cheese says at least 80 days for wheels of 2 to 3 kg and 120 days for those of 4 to 7 kg.
What is the ewe's head stamped on the rind?
INAO says each cheese is marked when it is made, either pressed into the rind or with a casein plate, with a ewe's head: in profile for dairy cheeses and face on for farm cheeses.
Which wine does the Ossau-Iraty syndicate suggest?
Structured reds and full whites of the South-West (Madiran, Béarn-Belloq, Jurançon, Irouléguy) or of the Languedoc, according to the cheese's defence syndicate. The Bordeaux pairings on this site are our own suggestions, not a local tradition.
Is Ossau-Iraty made near Bordeaux?
No. INAO places production in the Basque Country and Béarn. In Bordeaux it is sold, not made: Bordeaux Tourisme names it as the specialty of the Beillevaire shops.
Plan the trip
Visit Ossau-Iraty 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.