Abbaye de Belloc is a traditional cheese made by the benedictine monks of Notre Dame de Belloc. It is made from the raw sheep's milk of the local red-nosed manech ewes. Because of the climactically frequent rains in this part of France, the ewes have exemplary pasturing. Although they have a healthy diet, the milking season for manech ewes is relatively short. Thus, the cheese making season in the Pyrenees is only from December to July.
image from Yvan Lemeur's photostream
The milk of the red-nosed manech ewe is gathered from local farms. Because Abbaye de Belloc is an AOC cheese (Appellation d'Origine Controlee), the pasturing and breed are tightly controlled by the government. It is then made in the same way it has been made by the benedictine monks since the 1960s. The recipe was originally developed off of the regional recipe for Ossau-Iraty cheese. It is made into about 10 pound rounds and aged 4-10 months.
The cheese has a dense paste surrounded by a firm, red, yellow, and brown rind that has been marked by cheese cloth. The paste has a firm texture but is mild and smooth. It has a nutty, caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with zinfandel or a good Bordeaux.
image from artisanalcheese.com
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