Soft-ripened from the Jura with a striking rind and buttery, mellow heart.
Vacherousse d'Argental from the Jura Mountains: soft, oozy cow's milk cheese with a brick-orange rind bloomed in white. Mellow, buttery, meadow-sweet.
We’ll keep track of cheeses you love and send you new finds that match your taste.
By saving, you agree to receive curated emails from The Cheese Store. Unsubscribe anytime.
Already have an account? Sign in for a faster experience →
You’ll hear from us when we find more like this one.
A soft cow's milk cheese from the Jura Mountains in France, selected for the d'Argental range and named for the striking red rind that gives it its name (vacherousse translates to "red cow"). The rind is really two rinds in one: young wheels are washed in a brine and annatto mixture, which lays down that brick-orange color, and then over about three weeks in the aging room a thin velvety white mold blooms on top. The result is a two-tone rind that looks bolder than it eats.
Inside, the paste is buttery and oozy at ripeness, closer to a mild Brie than to a classic stinky washed rind. Really smooth, really creamy, with a fresh-milk sweetness up front and a soft meadow note pulled through from the rind. Faint hint of meatiness on the finish that keeps it interesting, but nothing sharp, nothing funky. The rind itself is mellow and not bitter, which is unusual for anything washed in annatto and worth pointing out at the counter.
For anyone who loves a soft-ripened cheese but wants a little more character than a straight Brie, this is right in the sweet spot. Serve it slightly warmer than fridge temperature so the paste really unzips, and let the whole rind come along for the ride.
Oozy and spoonable at ripeness, with a soft, buttery paste that pushes out from under the rind and melts on the tongue.
Gentle and mellow — the annatto-washed rind looks bolder than it tastes, with a mild milky center that stays approachable.
Clean and short — the buttery cream fades quickly and leaves a soft dairy sweetness behind, no lingering funk.
Buttery and fresh-cream forward, like whipped butter with a whisper of yogurt tang on the front of the palate.
A faint browned-butter note under the cream, more suggestion than statement.
A gentle wet-grass, meadow note from the washed rind — a hint of meatiness without any barnyard.
No pepper or piquancy — this cheese sits entirely on the mellow side.
Washed rind
Two-tone rind: a thin bloomy white mold laid over a brick-orange washed surface. Edible, sticky, and mellow — not bitter, and not stinky the way a lot of washed rinds get.
Vacherousse d'Argental stands on its own, but the right partners turn a wedge into a moment. Regional pairings first — they were built for each other.
The paste is butter-rich and the rind is mellow, so bubbles or a bright unoaked white cut the fat cleanly, and a light Gamay-based red keeps the pairing gentle.
Soft orchard fruit and a floral honey lift the mellow cream without overpowering it, and toasted walnuts echo the faint browned-butter note under the rind.
Real reviews from The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills Google Business Profile. Curated by Dom and his team since 1967.
Domenico and his team are fantastic. I’m a chef and I often get my supplies from The Cheese Store — unique products, carefully selected, from top Italian and French cheeses to excellent local ones.
Absolutely loved the cheese store! Everyone was super helpful and friendly. Lena helped us — she was very knowledgeable on all the cheeses: where they came from, what the region is like, what they are known for. It was like wine tasting for cheese.
Ordered several cheeses from them and the wrong items were delivered. Contacted the store and they recognized the error and immediately sent the correct order the next day without any fuss. Really appreciate the promptness and professionalism.
Hand-cut to order the day it ships. Packed cold for overnight delivery.
Taste it for yourself →Cold-ship 2-day overnight nationwide
