This week we’re excited for the opportunity to highlight two more fantastic french offerings as part of our weekly pairing series. Last week we visited a dairy located just outside of Paris, and this week we head southeast to the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, to a special place deep in the densely forested Haut Doubs, where we stumble upon a relic of the Franco-Prussian war, Fort Lucotte. Purchased in 1967 by a man named, Marcel Petite, this bunker once used for defending troops, is now enlisting wheels of Comté, with the sole duty of aging them to perfection. Situated not far from the border with Switzerland, the surrounding hills of the Jura mountains are made up of thick limestone rock formations which were used in construction of the fort, some 150 years ago. This defunct military bunker provides the ideal environment for aging wheels of Comté, and allows for the type of slow maturation once envisioned by Marcel Petite. Time is money, but a slower, gentler maturation cycle at lower temperature produces superior wheels of Comté. Wheels of cheese are delivered to the fort from local cheesemakers in neighboring villages, and each day, the fort’s affineurs taste individual cheeses and tailor their aging strategy. Some wheels are destined for the table earlier, with others using time to their advantage as they take on deeper, more complex texture and flavor traits. Our wheel of Comté for this week lands at right around 10 months of age, and possesses notes of caramelized onion, roasted nuts and brown butter, with a boozy finish and the slightest hint of hay. To pair with this cheese, we’ve selected, Domaine Paul Nicolle’s 2018 Chablis, a white wine produced in the village of fleys, just a couple miles from Chablis proper. This 100% chardonnay from northern burgundy provides a perfect balance to the rich aroma and flavor within the cheese. The wine’s creamy mouthfeel, high level of acidity, and taut minerality encourage the cheese to develop on the palate, showcasing an evolution of flavors.