Chavignol, Loire Valley (Sancerre) · France

Crottin de Chavignol.

AOP · Franceraw milk

Tasting note · Editorial

Crottin de Chavignol is the Loire's little goat barrel: young, it's ivory, lactic, and gently nutty; aged, the rind blues and wrinkles while the paste densifies into something intense, peppery, and profound. Few cheeses change character so completely in a few short weeks.

Caseo editors · France

Milk

Goat

Family

Soft-bloomy

Age

0–4 mo

Rind

natural

Chavignol, Loire Valley (Sancerre) — where Crottin de Chavignol is made

Origin

Chavignol, Loire Valley (Sancerre) · France

47.3°N · 2.8°E

The story

How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.

Crottin de Chavignol has been made around the village of Chavignol, beside Sancerre in the upper Loire, since at least the sixteenth century, from the raw milk of Alpine goats.

The small drum — barely 60 grams when aged — earned AOC protection in 1976 and is eaten at every stage: tender and lactic at ten days, firmer and nuttier at a month, or aged until dark and 'repassé' for devotees. Warmed on a salad as chèvre chaud, it became one of the great bistro dishes of France, and its marriage with Sancerre from the surrounding hills is a textbook local pairing.

Production · spec

The numbers.

Milk: Goat · raw
Family: Soft-bloomy
Rind: natural
Age: 0–4 mo
Protected: AOP · since 1996
Intensity: 3 / 5
Texture: soft, firm, crumbly

Chavignol sits among the vineyards of Sancerre, and the cheese-and-wine pairing is literal neighbourly terroir — goat pastures and Sauvignon Blanc vines on the same hillsides.

Tasting profile

What it tastes like.

These bars are a visual read of Crottin de Chavignol's flavour and aroma notes, scaled by the cheese's overall intensity — a quick guide, not a lab measurement.

Aroma

goathazelnutcellar

goaty

nutty

lactic

peppery

Nutrition · per 100 g serving

What's in a wedge.

A 100 g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.

Serving size

Nutrition Facts

Serving size

100 g

Calories

329

Macronutrients · % daily value

Total fat26.9 g

34%

Protein19.7 g

39%

Sodium679 mg

30%

Highlights · % daily value

Calcium151 mg

12%

% Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Calorie split

Fat26.9 g · 74%

Protein19.7 g · 24%

Carbsest. · 2%

Dietary · at a glance

GoatRaw-milkAOP

Star nutrient

12%

Good source of protein

5.9 g per 30 g serving

On lactose: aged hard cheeses (>6 months) are essentially lactose-free — bacteria consume the milk sugar during ripening. Soft, washed-rind, and fresh cheeses retain measurable lactose. Caseo lists values for anyone tracking it.

Serve, cut & store

Out of the fridge,
into its prime.

Guidance for soft-bloomy cheeses — general practice, not a per-wheel measurement.

Rest

1.5–2 h.

Take it out about 1.5–2 h before serving — cold stiffens the fat and locks up the aromas; cool room temperature is when the flavour shows up.

Cut

Cut like a cake — slim wedges from the centre, through the rind. Don't scoop the middle and strand the shell.

Store

Wrap leftovers in cheese paper or wax paper — never cling film, which suffocates the rind — and keep them in the warmest part of the fridge.

Rule of thumb: the softer and riper, the longer it needs. Thick pieces need longer than thin — and don't leave cheese out much past two hours.

Pairings · Caseo curated

What goes with Crottin.

60 pairings across 6 categories.

Wine

Sancerre Blanc

Native Loire white from the same terroir echoes the cheese's minerality and lactic notes while its crisp acidity cuts through goaty richness.

Pouilly Fum

Sauvignon Blanc's herbaceous smoke and stone-fruit complexity mirror the cheese's peppery character and cellar-like depth.

Loire Cabernet Franc

Aged Crottin's peppery intensity pairs beautifully with Cabernet Franc's red-fruit and herbal notes, creating a surprising red-wine-with-cheese moment.

Vouvray Demi-Sec

Where to find it