Best French Blue Cheese Types
Saint Agur is a French cheese originating from Auvergne, particularly the village of Beauzac. This rindless blue cheese is made with cow's milk, and it is typically left to ripen in cellars for 60 days. The flavors are sharp, spicy, and fruity, while the aroma is intense and milky.
The texture of Saint Agur is very creamy and smooth, which is the reason why the cheese melts and spreads extremely well. It comes in an octagonal shape, reminiscent of basalt stones in Auvergne, so its shape acts as a tribute to its origin. Serve Saint Agur with figs, pears, and walnuts, or use it in dips and sauces.
Fourme d'Ambert is an unusually tall, round, blue cheese that is unpressed and uncooked, with a high fat content (50%). It's made from pasteurized or raw cow's milk and it is one of the oldest cheeses in France. On the exterior it has a dry gray moldy rind, while on the interior it is creamy white with green or blue veins dispersed throughout the body.
Fourme d'Ambert is matured for up to 28 days in caves in the French regions of Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, and Loire. During the maturation process, the cheese is injected with sweet white wine. The flavor is delicate and mild with a velvety mouthfeel, with earthy, mushroomy, sweet, and creamy notes.
THE BEST Fourme d'Ambert Cheeses
Roquefort is one of the greatest cheeses of France, made from full-fat, unpasteurized sheep's milk. It has blue veins dispersed throughout its body, developed from the spores of Penicillium roqueforti before the cheese is pressed.
It is so tasty and loved that it was a favorite of Emperor Charlemagne, and it is locally called the 'cheese of kings and popes'. Roquefort has a moist rind on the exterior, while on the inside it is crumbly in texture and creamy, tangy, intense, complex, sharp, and salty in terms of flavor, with a white paste marbled with blue mold.
Pair with
THE BEST Roquefort Cheeses
Bleu d'Auvergne is a French blue cheese made from raw cow's milk. It has characteristical veins dispersed throughout its body. The mold that forms in the cheese is a result of the production process - Bleu is pricked with long needles that allow Penicillium glaucum to form in the cheese.
The aroma is intense, while the flavors are pastoral, spicy, and salty, reminiscent of grass and wildflowers. The cheese matures for at least 2 weeks and develops its moist and crumbly texture. After that period, it is ready to be sold and consumed.
Bleu des Causses is a traditional blue cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk. The cheese is placed in a cave, which is under the influence of drafts of cold and damp air, providing a unique maturation process that lasts for at least 70 days.
Because of the air gusts in the cave, and due to the fact that the cheese is pricked with needles, Penicillium mold forms inside the cheese. Bleu des Causses is neither pressed nor cooked and its flavor is full, intense, salty, and spicy (because of the mold), while the texture is crumbly and creamy.
Rochebaron is a French blue cheese made from cow’s or sheep’s milk. Its texture is soft and creamy, the aroma is strong, while the flavors are mild, mushroomy, and creamy. During the production process, the curd is injected with Penicillium glaucum in order to develop blue veins throughout the body.
The cheese then matures for at least 30 days, during which it is regularly dusted with ash. When ready for consumption, it is recommended to pair the cheese with fresh fruits, crusty baguettes, or a glass of earthy Pinot Noir.
Pair with
Bresse Bleu is a French cheese made with pasteurized cow's milk. This blue cheese hides a soft and creamy texture underneath its bloomy white rind. The aroma is fresh and mushroomy, while the flavor is buttery and very rich. During the production of Bresse Bleu, Penicillium roqueforti is added to the curds, and after molding, the rounds of cheese are rubbed with Penicillium camemberti.
The cheese is then left to mature for 2-4 weeks before consumption. Interestingly, Bresse Bleu is less pungent and less salty than most blue cheeses. Serve it with walnut bread and white grapes.
Bleu de chèvre is a traditional cheese hailing from Auvergne. This blue cheese is made from pasteurized or raw goat's milk. The rind is covered with ash, and underneath it the texture is soft and supple, with pockets of blue mold that are distributed throughout the paste.
The aromas are subtle, while the flavors are creamy, strong, and salty, with a subtle goaty tang on the finish. It's recommended to pair Bleu de chèvre with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
THE BEST Bleu de chèvre Cheeses
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a blue cheese made from a mix of warm, raw fresh milk and last evening's cow's milk, with a white moldy rind that may become orange due to yeast and bacteria. It has been produced in the French regions of Drôme and Isére since the 14th century.
Its name comes from the baron who authorized the sale of Bleu on his lands. The cheese must go through a maturation process for at least 30 days, when its buttery and creamy texture and sweet, mellow, subtle flavors, uncharacteristic for blue cheeses develop.
Pair with
Bleu de Termignon is a French blue cheese produced in the region of Rhône-Alpes. It's made from cow's milk, and only four producers make this cheese during the summer. The cheese has a crusty and rough rind, and underneath it there is a dense and crumbly texture of the body.
The irregular blueing on the inside is a result of natural wild molds that have entered the cheese through the cracks in the rind. Bleu de Termignon ages for 4 to 5 months, and its flavots are tangy, spicy, and earthy. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of mellow wine such as a Tokay.
Best French Blue Cheese Producers
Rodolphe Le Meunier is a cheese producer and affineur based in Tours, France. He comes from a family with a long tradition in the dairy industry, which has influenced his deep knowledge and expertise in cheese production. Le Meunier has won multiple awards for his work, including the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) in the cheese category, an honor given to craftsmen who achieve the highest level of skill in their field.
His business includes aging and refining cheeses, as well as sourcing from various regions in France to offer a diverse selection.
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2023, 2021
World Cheese Awards - Gold
2022
BEST Rodolphe Le Meunier Cheeses
Mons Fromages is a renowned French cheesemonger and affineur with a tradition dating back to the 1960s. The company specializes in sourcing, selecting, aging, producing, and selling a wide range of high-quality cheeses, catering to the tastes of clients in France and worldwide.
Founder Hervé Mons, a recipient of the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France title, along with his team, is dedicated to preserving traditional methods of cheese production and aging. Mons Fromages operates its own aging facilities, including the unique "Tunnel de la Collonge," a former railway tunnel repurposed into a space for cheese maturation.
BEST Fromagerie Mons Cheeses
Best French Blue Cheeses
1924 is a blue cheese made from a blend of cow's and sheep's milk, created by Mons Fromages. The name "1924" pays tribute to the year before Roquefort received the world's first AOP designation in 1925. This cheese features an ivory-colored paste veined with blue-green mold, with a relatively dense texture that becomes exceptionally soft on the palate.
Its aromas are robust, with notes of mushrooms, hazelnuts, and milk. 1924 is produced in the heart of the Auvergne region and completes its aging process in Mons Fromages' cellars in Saint-Haon-le-Châtel. It is recommended to pair this cheese with honey-infused sparkling beer, sweet white wines such as Sauternes or Jurançon, or bold red wines.
AWARDS
International Cheese Awards - Gold
2023
Roquefort Revelation is a refined blue cheese made from raw sheep's milk, originating from the renowned Roquefort-sur-Soulzon region of France. It offers a complex flavor profile with creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet notes, complemented by distinct umami from its blue veins.
The cheese has a creamy yet crumbly texture and is aged in natural caves, allowing it to develop its unique characteristics. Ideal for pairing with fruits like figs and pears, as well as robust red and dessert wines, Roquefort Revelation is a luxurious choice for cheese boards and gourmet dishes.
AWARDS
International Cheese Awards - Gold
2022
Roquefort AOP made by Rodolphe Le Meunier is an artisan French blue cheese renowned for its pungent aroma and rich, creamy texture. This particular Roquefort is crafted from raw sheep's milk and aged in the natural caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, where it develops its distinctive blue veining from the Penicillium roqueforti mold.
The expertise of Rodolphe Le Meunier, a highly respected cheesemaker and affineur, ensures that each wheel of Roquefort meets high standards of quality and flavor.
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Gold
2022
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 16 French Blue Cheeses” list until March 22, 2025, 1,061 ratings were recorded, of which 830 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.