The short version
A small orange washed-rind cheese from the Champagne region with a concave dimple — the fontaine — in its top. You pour champagne or marc into the well and let it soak in. This is the traditional service, not a party trick.
What it is
Langres AOP is made in Champagne-Ardenne from cow's milk, washed with brine and annatto during a five-week aging. Unlike most cheeses it's never turned during ripening, which is why the top sinks into a well as the paste settles. The rind is washed to a deep orange; the paste stays firm at the center and softens toward the edge.
- Taste
- rich, savory, tangy, moderately funky, less intense than Époisses
- Texture
- soft and creamy near the rind, firmer in the middle
- Look
- small orange cylinder with a distinct hollow in the top
Not turning the cheese is the mechanism, and it's the rare case where a production shortcut became the defining feature. Wheels are normally flipped so they settle evenly. Leaving Langres alone lets gravity pull the paste down and the surface sink — creating a well that some enterprising cheesemaker eventually decided to fill.
What it pairs with — and why
| Pair it with | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Champagne, poured into the well | The traditional service. Let it soak twenty minutes before serving. |
| Marc de Champagne | The stronger regional version of the same idea. |
| Baguette | Plain bread and a spoon. Nothing should compete. |
| Cornichons | Sharp acid against a rich washed-rind paste. |
| Walnuts | Tannin against a very high-fat washed-rind paste. |
| Honey | Sweetness against funk, as with any washed-rind. |
| Champagne, alongside as well as inside | Acid and bubbles against saturated fat. |
Skip it with: delicate cheeses nearby and aged hard cheeses. Like all washed-rinds it takes over its corner of the board.
How to prep it for the board
1. Pour a splash of champagne or marc into the well twenty minutes before serving. It soaks in and perfumes the paste. This is the point of the cheese. 2. Temper a full hour. 3. Serve it whole on its own small plate with a spoon, and let people take from the top down. 4. Serve about 1 oz per person. One small cheese serves four to six. 5. Give it its own plate and knife. The aroma travels. 6. The rind is edible but many trim it. 7. Fix: if it's firm all the way through it's young. Give it a few more days wrapped in the fridge.
What to buy
| Product | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Langres AOP | Cheese counters, specialty shops, Murray's | The real thing, in small and large formats. Buy the small one. |
| Époisses | Whole Foods, cheese counters | The better-known Burgundian relative — see its own page. |
| Affidélice | Cheese counters | Chablis-washed, from the Époisses producer. Gentler. |
| Chaource | Cheese counters | The other Champagne cheese — bloomy rind, mild, excellent. |
| Taleggio | Whole Foods | The gentle washed-rind starting point — see its own page. |
| Red Hawk | Cheese counters, West Coast | The American washed-rind — see its own page. |
Label check: the AOP mark and a visible well in the top. A flat-topped orange cheese isn't Langres.
Skip: the large format for a board. The small cheeses are the right size and the well is proportionally deeper.
Quick FAQ
Do you really pour champagne into it? Yes. It's the traditional service — a splash in the well twenty minutes before serving, left to soak in.
Why does it have a hollow in the top? It's never turned during ripening, so the paste settles and the surface sinks. Most cheeses are flipped; this one isn't.
How strong is it? Moderately — noticeably milder than Époisses, stronger than Taleggio.
Can you eat the rind? Yes, though many people trim it.
How much per person? About 1 oz. One small cheese serves four to six.