Just so it’s clear, other than occasional samples of cheese, I receive no compensation or favor from any cheese company whose cheeses I review. The Lady and I celebrate cheese and we only review cheeses we like or love… if we don’t like or we feel there is a lacking in a particular cheese, then we don’t talk about it… well, most of the time…
Around The Manse and the website, it became the Sartori Cheese weekend. We didn’t plan it, it just worked out that way… during my interview with Jim Sartori which immediately follows this post, he mentioned MontAmore, a cheese I had never tasted. He offered to send a sample and what are the chances I would decline? When the sample arrived, it brought along several of its sisters and The Lady and I decided a cheese plate was the way to end Saturday night…
With the exception of the MontAmore, I have either reviewed or used each of them in recipes.
We started with the BellaVitano Gold, a nutty, creamy cheese that has flavor notes of both a fine aged cheddar and a quality parmesan. This cheese has those divine protein crystals that I prefer to think of as flavor bursts. This cheese is perfect on a cheese board but would also be excellent in a mac n cheese. The Lady served a dollop of strawberry preserves and LaPanzanella Original minis to make this first cheese really pop…
Hmmm… so how do you make BellaVitano Gold better… you rub it with Espresso… man, oh, man… this one made The Man swoon and I found myself, once more, having to fight for my fair share… if only I had an opposable thumb… the fight would be fairer… I’m sure you’re thinking, how about your claws… The Lady regularly gives me a pedicure which greatly inhibits their use as a weapon… but I digress…
BellaVitano Espresso is amazing. The coffee flavor adds a dimension that heightens the sweet notes in the BellaVitano. The Lady added a few dark chocolate chip cookies, homemade here at The Manse, to the tray and paired them with this cheese… well, let’s just say, The Man lost it… it was embarrassing…
Although I used this last April in a Grilled Cheese Choice, I have never graded it… suffice it to say, I give BellaVitano Espresso 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got… sadly they are pedicured as well…)
After the espresso, we went savory with the Asiago rubbed with EVOO and Rosemary. Nutty and pungent, this cheese is a perfect segway from Espresso to the Pastorale Blend.
The Lady and I first tasted Pastorale back in 2010 after her visit to Sartori. This sublime cheese is made with both cow and sheep milks. The tang of the sheep is evident and the cow works to smooth that tang. Then the wheel is bathed in paprika to add a bit of smoke and the end product is one that Amy, The Lady’s BCFF, just can’t get enough of. The Lady hid a piece to take to Amy on Monday… it’s good to know cheesy people… they take care of their own…
We ended the plate with the MontAmore, which The Lady had used earlier in the day when she made the Italian Frico.
MontAmore is a classic cheese; so Italian and accessible to children and adults alike. The three of this love this cheese. It’s sweet; it’s nutty and filled with protein crystals which explode in your mouth and leave you begging for more… or Mont…Amore…
I give MontAmore 4 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
With previous reviews and this new one… this cheese plate is a 3.8 Paws winner…
FTC Full Disclosure – The cheesemaker/manufacturer sent me their product, hoping I would review the product/cheese.
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