The ripening of the Xavier David Saint-Nectaire AOP Fermier is really something: it takes place on rye straw for at least 4 weeks in damp volcanic cellars in the town of Allanche, France. The Allanche site has ancestral know-how and its very own terroir and authenticity. The ripeners rub and turn the cheese over on a regular basis to get this bloomy rind with naturally brown, grey or blue mould that are so specific to this cheese. This semi-soft washed rind cheese is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk.