Well, now that the holidays have come and gone we’re getting back to business here on C + C. We’re nearing the end of our quest to taste all 100 cheeses on the Wine Spectator list, and the remaining dozen or so cheeses have proven a little tricky to track down. Thankfully, Jill had the foresight to order a couple from Murray’s for us to sample together during her recent visit. [If you've never ordered cheese by mail from Murray's, we highly recommend it. The cheeses arrived in perfect condition, neatly wrapped with the standard über-informational Murray's labels.]

First up, Caruchon, made by Papillon, the renowned Roquefort producers in central France. This is a brined cheese with a colorful red specked rind that made me anticipate a more pungent flavor than we found upon tasting. At first glance you might mistake its dense, golden paste for Pont L’Eveque, though as Jill discovered a few months ago, Pont L’Eveque packs a much more pungent fragrance. Like Roquefort, Caruchon is a sheeps-milk cheese (though pasteurized), with the familiar oily mouthfeel and slightly sweet flavor that is reminiscent of a manchego.

Caruchon does possess a distinctive sheepy aroma, and the crisp rind is more mild than you might expect from a washed-rind cheese, notable more for its texture than its flavor. The paste likewise is mild, pleasantly rich and tasting of pure sheeps-milk. It’s a delightful cheese that might be a good gateway to washed-rind cheeses for your more skeptical friends. It certainly wouldn’t frighten anyone away from the cheese board. I’d probably pair this with a light, fruity red wine, but didn’t have a chance to test that this time around.

Pont-l’Évêque is a true table cheese – a staple on the Normandy sideboard for hundreds of years along with other regional foods like apples, butter, cream and cider. Not showy or high-maintenance, this pasteurized cow’s-milk cheese would round out any hearty meal nicely. Its meaty paste and nutty flavor could stand up to a number of rich dishes, French or otherwise, and would ensure that you don’t leave the table hungry.

Like many washed-rind cheeses, Pont-l’Évêque is quite pungent. The wedge I bought at Surdyk‘s began stinking up my refrigerator as soon as I brought it home, and I actually finished the cheese in two sittings so the smell wouldn’t linger in the fridge any longer. However, with this cheese, its bark is worse than its bite – the paste itself is fairly mild and shouldn’t overwhelm those with delicate palates.

Pair Pont-l’Évêque with a fruity white from Bordeaux, as per Wine Spectator‘s suggestion, or go bubbly with Champagne. Of course, cider would make a stellar match as well.