Bound with a thin ring of bark and ripened in a traditional wooden box, Le Duc Vacherin is best enjoyed when the smooth pinkish rind starts to ripple and bulge.
Spruce-bark bound cheeses have been enjoyed as a winter treat in the mountains that border France and Switzerland since the Middle Ages. Traditionally, these cheeses were produced when the cows returned from grazing on high-altitude pastures, where their rich milk was used to make huge wheels of hard cheese throughout summer.
Vacherin Le Duc is hand-made in limited quantities using similar techniques throughout the year. The cheese has a rich creamy flavour and soft texture when young. If left to ripen in the box, the smooth pinkish rind starts to bloom and ripple, and the inside softens to a delectable, oozing, melt-in-mouth texture with a fragrant hint of the forest.