Beaufort

Beaufort is a hard, cooked, pressed cow's milk cheese produced exclusively in a defined high-mountain zone of the Savoie department. It is made solely from raw whole-cream milk drawn from Tarine and Abondance breed herds, salted in brine, and ripened for at least five months within the geographical area of production.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0106, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012980, and granted EU protection on 21 June 1996, Beaufort is manufactured using a hard-cheese pressing technique from raw whole-cream cow's milk. The milk must come exclusively from herds of the Tarine (Tarentaise) and Abondance breeds. Cheeses weigh between 20 and 70 kg, have a diameter of between 35 and 75 centimetres, and a height at the outer rim of between 11 and 16 centimetres. The rubbed rind is uniformly yellow to brown. Beaufort contains at least 48 % fat after complete desiccation and a dry matter content of not less than 61 grams per 100 grams of ripened cheese. Milk production, cheese manufacture, and ripening of at least five months must all take place within the geographical area, which covers the Beaufortain, Val d'Arly, Tarentaise, and Maurienne massifs in the department of Savoie, together with two adjacent sectors in Haute-Savoie. Every cheese bears a blue oval casein plate. Cheeses qualifying for the additional description 'chalet d'alpage' must also bear a square red casein plate on the heel. The term 'chalet d'alpage' is reserved for cheeses made from June to October inclusive, twice a day in an Alpine chalet at an altitude greater than 1 500 m, comprising at most the milk of a single herd. The term 'été' designates cheeses made from June to October inclusive. If marketed after being grated, use of the designation Beaufort is prohibited.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-FR-0106 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012980).
• Milk must come exclusively from Tarine and Abondance breed cows; no other breed is permitted by the specification.
• Cheeses qualifying for the 'chalet d'alpage' description must be made at an altitude greater than 1 500 m and bear an additional square red casein plate on the heel.
• If marketed after being grated, use of the designation Beaufort is prohibited by the specification.

Tasting notes

Savoyard alpine cow's milk pressed cooked cheese (gruyère family), aged minimum 5 months, traditionally up to 18-24+ months. Concave heel ("talon concave") signature shape. Pale yellow paste, firm dense texture, intensely fruity flavor evolving from buttery-floral young to nutty-savory aged with characteristic lait-cuit caramel note. Three styles: Beaufort (year-round), Beaufort d'été (summer milk, June-October), Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage (highest-altitude summer chalet production, premium).

HoReCa use

Foundation Savoyard cheese — fondue savoyarde (essential), cheese boards, gratins, shaved on salads, in Beaufort soufflé, melted in croque-Beaufort.

Packaging

• wheel-full-20-70kg
• wheel-quarter-vacuum-5-15kg
• wedge-vacuum-1kg
• wedge-vacuum-500g
• wedge-vacuum-250g
• grated-pre-pack-100g