Saint-Nectaire. Photo: Artisanal Cheese

This summer Slashfood blogger Max Shrem is apprenticing at renowned Paris cheese shop Fromagerie Trotté. In ''Le Cheese Course,'' Max will share his impressions and opinions of French cheese à la francaise!

For those who enjoy the creamy supple texture of Brie and the nutty earthy taste of Salers, Saint-Nectaire is a must-try. Coming from the Auvergne, the same region of France as Salers, it combines the best of both cheeses, but the experience of eating it is like savoring a particularly rich smooth peanut butter and drinking a glass of rich, flavorful raw cow's milk.

This cow's-milk cheese is made from the milk of the renowned Salers cows that graze at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Similar to the cheese Salers, the rich soil consists of volcanic ash (hence, lots of minerals) and imparts a distinct flavor on Saint-Nectaire.

However, unlike Salers, Saint-Nectaire has an unctuous consistency, similar to Brie, and a one-of-a-kind exquisite light-brown-grayish rind with, at times, white, yellow and red molds. It can have either a washed rind or a natural rind. The different molds, intentionally brought out by the affineur, create the cheese's distinct rustic appearance and earthy floral taste. As far back as the Middle Ages, cheesemakers have been aging Saint-Nectaire on rye mats in tunnels and caves that run through the Auvergne.

In Paris, different fromageries pride themselves on carrying wheels of Saint-Nectaire from affineurs, like Xavier Morin. "The specific flora and microorganisms [bacteria] in the ancient tunnels of Aurillac produce Xavier's grassy nutty Saint-Nectaire," says Nicole Barthélémy from Fromagerie Barthélémy at 51, rue de Grenelle in Paris. In other words, it's not just the work of the affineur that produces the flavor, but also the natural environment where the cheese is being aged.

As with many cheeses, like Vacherin Mont D'Or, Saint-Nectaire was popularized and became an essential part of the family of French cheeses thanks to Parisian cheese shops. During the 17th century, Henri de Senecterre, a court officer under the "Sun King," Louis XIV, brought many traditional foods -- including Saint-Nectaire -- from his native region to Paris. The cheese's name pays tribute to its 17th-century promoter.

Although there is less variety in the U.S., excellent Saint-Nectaire can be purchased online from both Murray's cheese catalog and Artisanal. The taste buds will definitely delight in the complicated blend of flavor and texture. If France's absolutist "Sun King" approved, so should we!