When the temperatures drop, we hear the whining of those who are cold. Two solutions present themselves to support these whinings. The first, earplugs. Effective, but annoying on a daily basis. The second: the golden mountain, because no one complains with their mouth full of such delight. But which one to choose, since neither more nor less than ten cheese factories make them? To give yourself an indication, just look at which Mont d'Or will be designated as the best of the season this Tuesday.
Elect the people's golden mountain
A jury of ten people will meet to observe, sniff, but above all taste the crème de la crème of Vacherin du Haut-Doubs. “We start by judging the presentation,” explains Lucile Bouriot, Mont d’Or technical support at the Comtois cheese technical center. “Then we rate the perfume according to the criteria. Afterwards, we remove the mont d'or from the box to judge the texture and taste of the cheese. »
The products will be tasted cold. Ratings will be given with different coefficients, with taste being the highest. And of course, all products will be anonymized. Brown tape will wrap the boxes so that it is impossible to recognize the markings.
Precise specifications to respect
In the jury, there will be a bit of everything: product specialists, journalists, guests from the town of Malbuisson or people who work in the world of cheese making “so that the chosen Mont d'Or pleases everyone type of people,” continues Lucile Bouriot. “I will guide them to tell them what is expected of a mount of gold in presentation: if it is flat, it is not characteristic. There are also the aromas that emerge, the flavors, which must be balanced, not too bitter, that it is correctly salted… The Mont d'Or has a taste presentation criterion and precise specifications. »
What cheesemakers don't tell us
The judges will deliberate and the full ranking will be given around 2 p.m. For the lucky winner, the economic impact will not be essential, assures Éric Février, president of the Interprofessionnel du Mont d'Or union: “The participants do not see the competition as a lever to give more value to their product, or go find more markets. They see it above all as a reward for the teams and additional motivation for all the employees who participate in the making of the cheese. »
On the other hand, the competition which is held in Paris, during the international agricultural show (from February 22 to March 2, 2025), has much more financial impact for the winner. Indeed, in the eyes of consumers – most often uninformed – it is the label from the Agricultural Show that takes precedence.
A somewhat paradoxical observation, according to Eric Février. “There is a more random side to Paris,” remarks the specialist. “There, there are all the profiles of judges, it is much less regulated on the tables. People will sometimes dwell on details that don't need to be there. At the inter-profession, in principle, there is no debate on the mountain of gold that comes out. Cheesemakers know that. »
Mandatory attendance this year!
Unlike the sausage producers of Morteau, those of Mont d'Or are not obliged to present a product during the regional competition. On the other hand, since this year, they must be present at the general assembly if they want to receive their prize. Otherwise, they will be downgraded. A decision taken at the request of the board of directors of the Mont d'Or Interprofessional Union.
« If we are not able to give two hours of our time once a year to be present at the general assembly and receive our prize if we have been selected, in terms of belonging to the sector, that bothers me. calls out », Supports Éric Février, the president of the organization. “ The idea is to get people to get a little more involved, to be present, out of respect for the producers and administrators who give a lot of time to keep the industry moving forward. »
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