An unpasturised sheep's milk cheese from the lush foothills of the Western Pyrenees, Ossau-Iraty is a semi hard cheese dating back 3000 years. A mottled brown rind gives way to a smooth ivory paste with a fresh grassy, slightly yeasty aroma. The flavour is complex - deeply rich, sweet caramel and roasted cashew, fresh grass and wildflowers followed by a slight gaminess that intensifies as the wheels age.
