Roquefort Papillon is a raw sheep's milk blue from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in the Aveyron, made by Fromageries Papillon and aged in the natural limestone caves the appellation is named for. Roquefort was the first AOC cheese ever protected, back in 1925, and Papillon has been working these caves since 1906. The paste is ivory and semi-soft, shot through with even veins of blue from the Penicillium roqueforti that breathes through the wheel as it ages. On the palate it leads with the rich, buttery sweetness of sheep's milk, then the blue kicks in with a controlled piccante bite before the finish pulls long and sweet with a quiet mineral note from the caves. Salt, tang, and sweetness all show up in the same bite, balanced rather than aggressive. This is Roquefort done in the classic style, the kind where the cave does as much of the work as the curd. A piece at room temperature, with the veins relaxed and the cream line just starting to glisten, is right in the sweet spot.
