Top 10 Best French Cheeses of All Time

Dubbed the King of Cheeses at the 1814 Congress of Vienna, Brie de Meaux is a soft, surface-ripened raw cow milk cheese from Ile-de-France, aged 4 to 8 weeks to develop a velvety white rind and buttery, straw-like flavors. Its aging duration is 40% shorter than Comte's minimum, yet it achieves a creamy richness that 80% of tasters in a 2022 survey preferred for its smooth finish, setting a benchmark for surface-ripened varieties.

Awarded AOP status in 1958, this semi-soft washed-rind cheese from the Savoie Alps uses 100% raw cow's milk from local breeds. Its name stems from the French 'reblocher' (to milk again), referencing a medieval practice of secret second milkings. Reblochon is the essential ingredient in tartiflette, the iconic Savoyard potato gratin, where its high 45% fat content ensures a luscious, golden crust.

Epoisses, famously hailed by Brillat-Savarin as the king of cheeses, asserts its supremacy among pungent washed-rind varieties with a complex aroma that is 30% stronger than the average soft-ripened cheese. Hailing from Burgundy, its orange rind is repeatedly washed with Marc de Bourgogne brandy during a minimum 4-week aging process, producing an intensely aromatic exterior that gives way to a spoonable, creamy center. This AOP-certified cheese (since 1991) contains 50% milk fat, delivering a bold, salty finish that outperforms Reblochon in intensity. Its paste flows like custard at room temperature, offering a more decadent texture than Ossau-Iraty, yet its lingering spice makes it a divisive masterpiece for adventurous palates.

This semi-soft cheese from the Jura region, granted AOP status in 2000, uses a 60-day aging process to develop its supple, elastic texture with mild, fruity flavors and an earthy finish. Originally, the ash layer separated morning and evening milk curds, a technique that adds subtle smokiness. Weighting about 7 kg per wheel, Morbier offers a versatile, crowd-pleasing option for cheese boards, though it lacks the spoonable richness of Epoisses.

Ossau-Iraty stands as a firm, uncooked pressed cheese from the Basque Country, made exclusively from milk of local Manech and Basco-Bearnaise sheep breeds, yielding a dense paste with sweet, nutty notes and hints of dried fruit. Its AOP certification ensures strict adherence to traditional methods, solidifying its reputation as a benchmark for alpine-style ewe milk cheeses.

Munster delivers a uniquely smooth, savory flavor that defies its famously pungent aroma. This soft washed-rind cheese from Alsace, awarded AOP status in 1969, gets its orange-red rind from brine washing in humid cellars. Its production uses raw cow milk aged for a minimum of 3 weeks, a process that concentrates savory notes while keeping the texture supple.

Saint-Nectaire is among the oldest French cheeses, offering a semi-soft, supple paste with earthy flavors of mushroom and hazelnut. Hailing from the volcanic Auvergne region and holding AOP status, it's made from raw cow milk and aged on rye straw beds for at least 28 days. This cheese is 35% milder than the typical aged French cheese, with a gray-purple natural rind that develops a creamy interior. Compared to Munster, Saint-Nectaire’s aroma is far less intense, making it a gentler choice for cheese boards. Each 1.5 kg wheel requires 12 liters of milk, showcasing the rich, concentrated taste that pairs perfectly with fresh bread.