Bleu de Bonneval

1. History

Bleu de Bonneval-sur-Arc is a French commercial trademark created in 1960 with the establishment of a dairy cooperative in Haute-Maurienne. This cheese draws inspiration from the Bleu de Termignon tradition and represents ancestral cheesemaking expertise passed down through generations in the Maurienne valley. Since its creation, it has become a discreet yet prestigious emblem of the Savoyard region, testifying to local cheesemaking excellence.

2. Physical characteristics

Bleu de Bonneval is presented as a cylinder with an irregular natural crust, white and grey in color. Its ivory to brown-colored paste is veined with blue-grey mold in a regular pattern, with characteristic lines formed by needle pricks. The texture varies depending on aging: soft and creamy when young, it becomes firmer or more unctuous after several months of maturation.

3. Taste profile

This cheese offers aromas of cellar and mushrooms with a pronounced yet pleasant salty taste. Bleu de Bonneval reveals a tender texture with notes characteristic of its alpine terroir. Its fairly pronounced odor testifies to its vitality, while its powerful and balanced flavor makes it a cheese of character appreciated by connoisseurs.

4. Production zone and period

Bleu de Bonneval is produced exclusively in the Maurienne valley, in the village of Bonneval-sur-Arc in Savoie, at the Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis dairy. The milk comes solely from herds in the Bessans and Bonneval-sur-Arc farms, processed by the Haute-Maurienne Vanoise dairy cooperative. In summer, cows graze on alpine pastures above 2000 meters, giving the cheese its unique flavor thanks to alpine flora.

5. Certification

Bleu de Bonneval-sur-Arc is a registered commercial trademark, not a protected designation of origin. However, the milk used meets the same specifications as Beaufort AOP, guaranteeing equivalent quality. The cheese undergoes a minimum maturation of 60 days in very cool caves, during which it develops all its characteristic aromas and creaminess.