Valençay

Valençay is a soft-paste goat's milk cheese made from raw whole milk, formed into a truncated pyramid with a square base and a rind ranging from light grey to bluish grey, produced by the addition of vegetable carbon. Milk, manufacture, and maturation must all take place within a defined zone across four departments of the Bas-Berry region of France.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0076, with EU protection dating from 30 October 1998, Valençay is identified in the EU register under eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013290. The cheese is made exclusively from raw whole goat's milk supplied by Alpine or Saanen goats, or hybrids of those two breeds. Its truncated pyramidal shape with a square base is produced using moulds whose internal dimensions are specified: large moulds have a base of 50–55 mm and small moulds a base of 40–44 mm, both with an angle of 96–102° between the base and the side. The rind, which ranges from light grey to bluish grey, is formed by the addition of vegetable carbon. The dry matter content must make up at least 40% of the total weight of the cheese; total dry matter per cheese must be at least 90 g for large-mould cheeses and at least 45 g for small-mould cheeses. Cheeses may not leave the maturing site before 11 days after renneting, and must have a complete rind covered with surface mould visible to the naked eye. The milking goats' total annual ration must contain at least 820 kg of dry matter feed from the geographical area. Silage and transgenic crops are prohibited. The geographical area spans designated municipalities and cantons in the departments of Indre, Cher, Indre-et-Loire, and Loir-et-Cher. Each cheese is sold individually bearing a label that includes the designation name in characters at least 1.3 times the size of the largest other characters, the words 'Appellation d'Origine Protégée', and the EU PDO symbol.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 30 October 1998 under file number PDO-FR-0076 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013290).
• The rind is formed exclusively by the addition of vegetable carbon; no other colouring method is specified.
• Cheeses may not be removed from the maturing site or sold until at least 11 days after renneting.
• Milk must come solely from Alpine or Saanen goats, or hybrids of those two breeds; no other breeds are permitted.

Tasting notes

Berry goat's milk truncated pyramid-shaped cheese rolled in vegetable-charcoal ash, aged 11+ days. Charcoal-grey to white rind, ivory paste, semi-soft texture, balanced fresh tangy goat flavor — visually similar to Pouligny-Saint-Pierre but with ash coat and characteristic flat-top shape (legend: Napoleon ordered the top cut after disastrous Spanish campaign).

HoReCa use

Plateau de fromages chèvre selection; pairs with Reuilly, Sancerre, and Touraine wines.

Packaging

• truncated-pyramid-220g
• truncated-pyramid-mini-110g

Seasonality