Piave Red Label Staggionato (Aged)

Piave is a hard cow's milk cheese from the Veneto Region in northern Italy, named for the Piave River that runs through the region. This is the Rosso (Red Label) Staggionato, aged over twelve months and carrying DOP protection, which means the recipe, milk, and region are all locked in by consortium.

The paste is a deep straw yellow, dense and hard, with the start of crystal crunch coming through as you chew. Under the knife it breaks in clean flaky shards rather than slicing cleanly. On the palate it opens sweet and fruity, with a tropical-fruit note that's the calling card of Piave, then pulls into bitter almond and melted butter on the long finish. There's a real savory depth underneath the sweetness that keeps it interesting bite after bite.

It sits in that useful spot between a snacking cheese and a grating cheese. Shave it over pasta, shard it onto a board, or just eat it straight off the knife.