Charolais

A raw, full-fat goat's milk cheese made in the Charolles region of Burgundy, shaped as a vertical cylinder, slightly convex, with a cream-coloured paste covered principally by geotrichum mould. Its minimum ripening period runs to 16 days after renneting, at which point the cheese weighs between 250 and 310 grams.

About this designation

Charolais is produced exclusively from raw, full-fat, lightly renneted goat's milk within a defined geographical area centred on the town of Charolles, covering parts of Saône-et-Loire and adjoining zones. The milk is produced, and the cheese manufactured and ripened, entirely within that area. The curd is a lactic curd, moulded by ladle into tall cylindrical moulds; the cheeses are salted on all sides and turned by hand. Ripening takes place in a cool and humid location to encourage geotrichum growth; blue penicillium marks may also appear. At the end of the minimum ripening period of 16 days after renneting, the cheese weighs between 250 and 310 grams, has a centre diameter of between 60 and 70 mm, and a height of 70 mm or more but not more than 85 mm. Dry matter content is at least 45 grams per 100 grams of cheese. Goat feed must be sourced exclusively from the geographical area, based on a grazing system; the minimum annual grazing and/or green feeding period is 150 days, and the forage area grazed by the goat herd must consist of a minimum 60 % of permanent and/or temporary pastures of more than 4 years old. Transgenic crops are prohibited on all farms producing milk for Charolais. The designation was registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0838, with EU protection granted on 15 November 2010, and carries eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014300.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 15 November 2010 under file number PDO-FR-0838 (eAmbrosia: EUGI00000014300).
• At the end of the minimum 16-day ripening period, each cheese must weigh between 250 and 310 grams and stand at least 70 mm tall.
• All goat fodder must originate exclusively from the geographical area; transgenic crops are prohibited on all farms supplying milk for the designation.
• The specification permits no physical treatment of the milk: it must remain raw and whole throughout the cheese-making process.

Tasting notes

Burgundian goat's milk small drum-shaped cheese aged 16+ days. Ivory paste with thin natural rind that develops blue-grey mottling with age, semi-firm to firm texture, mild fresh goat flavor evolving to assertive aged character — distinguished from other chèvres by its taller drum shape.

HoReCa use

Plateau de fromages with chèvre selection; classic Burgundian apéritif.

Packaging

• single-drum-250-300g
• gift-pack-twin-500g