Morbier AOP: The Black-Line Cheese That Melts Into the Raclette Pan

In short: Morbier AOP (PDO) is the raw-milk wheel from the Jura, recognizable by its horizontal black line, aged at least 45 days. It melts soft and creamy in the raclette pan, and it has the advantage of starting the conversation all by itself: everybody wants to know what that line is.

Page checked on 11/02/2026 against the producers’ and trade bodies’ official websites. Do you make this cheese? Write to us to be listed in the directory.

Morbier AOP at a glance

Country	France
Region	Jura Mountains (Doubs, Jura, a few communes in the Ain and Saône-et-Loire)
Designation	AOC in December 2000, AOP (PDO) since 2002 (jura-tourism.com); ODG (managing body): Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Morbier, Poligny
Milk	cow's milk, raw (Montbéliarde and French Simmental breeds)
Curd	pressed, uncooked
Aging	at least 45 days, often 2 to 4 months, on wooden boards
Size	wheel of 5 to 8 kg, 30 to 40 cm in diameter, 5 to 8 cm high
Flavor	mild to fruity
Melt	4/5: supple, creamy paste that melts quickly and turns runny; the black line stays visible

Its story

Morbier comes from farms in the Jura Mountains, where a single milking was not enough, in winter, to fill a vat for Comté. So the farmers curdled the morning milk, covered it with a thin layer of ash to protect it, then added the evening curd on top. The black line was born from that storage trick. The name Morbier took hold at the end of the 19th century. Today, the ash has given way to vegetable charcoal, spread on one layer before pressing. The designation of origin was obtained in December 2000, followed by the European AOP (PDO) in 2002. The trade association, based in Poligny, spent nearly ten years in proceedings to protect the look of the line against imitations. Production followed: from about 3,000 tonnes in the first year to more than 13,000 tonnes in 2023, with nearly 2,000 milk producers and 47 creameries, five of them farmhouse, according to the association.

Video: © Morbier, the cheese with the inimitable line (official channel of the Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Morbier), watch on YouTube

Flavor and melt: what happens in the raclette pan

The rind is rubbed and turned regularly during aging, which gives it its cellar-colored coat. The paste, ivory to pale yellow, is supple and melting, cut in two by its black line, which has no particular taste. The association distinguishes three ages. Young, between 45 and 60 days, Morbier stays mild and lactic, with notes of cream and fresh butter. Between 60 and 90 days, it takes on notes of vanilla, caramel and fruit. Beyond 100 days, it gains strength with toasty, spicy and vegetal touches. What you remember for raclette is its melting speed: the paste slumps quickly, turns runny and glossy, stringier than a Raclette de Savoie. So you have to keep an eye on it, because it can spill over the raclette pan if you leave it too long. A two- to three-month-old Morbier offers the best compromise between creaminess and flavor. And no, the black line won't turn your potato black: it just sits there, like a witness.

On the nose and palate: lactic and creamy when young; vanilla, caramel and fruit at around 60 to 90 days; toasty and spicy beyond 100 days (according to the association)

How to serve it

For a Morbier raclette, plan on 200 g per person as a main course, or half Morbier and half Raclette de Savoie to compare the regions. Take the wheel out an hour ahead, remove the rind if you like, and cut 4 mm slices, keeping the line nicely visible. In the raclette pan, heat over medium heat and take it out as soon as the slice turns glossy and starts to run. For a half wheel to scrape, choose a piece aged two to three months: it melts evenly without spreading everywhere. As for sides, potatoes and Morteau sausage are playing at home, with a well-chilled Jura Chardonnay.

Pairings

• Wines: Côtes du Jura Chardonnay, Arbois Savagnin ouillé, Crémant du Jura
• On the table: potatoes, Morteau sausage, smoked ham from the Haut-Doubs, gherkins, green salad

Our recipes with this cheese

• Traditional Raclette: The Basic Recipe
• Baked Raclette Potato
• Homemade Raclette Burger

How much should you plan? Our guide to raclette cheese quantities per person does the math, and our comparison of the best raclette cheeses shows how it stacks up against the others.

Morbier AOP producers: the directory

Four families of producers, from the giants to the small mountain dairies. Contact details taken from their official websites; logos are displayed from those sites, with credit.

The biggest producers

The biggest volumes: industrial producers and large cooperatives.

The best known

The brands you come across in stores.

The most renowned

Medal winners, award winners or renowned affineurs, with a sourced distinction.

Small local producers

Farms, mountain pastures and village creameries.

Where to buy it

Morbier AOP is sold at cheese shops, in supermarkets, and above all at the fruitières of the Doubs and the Jura, which sell it directly. To recognize the real thing, look for the AOP logo and the word Morbier on the label, along with the creamery's identification mark. The black line alone is not enough: only the designation guarantees the mountain raw milk and the 45 days of aging. Creameries that win prizes at the AOP competition, held every summer in the village of Morbier, are good addresses to start with.

More addresses in our guide where to buy good raclette cheese.

Follow on social media

• Fromage Morbier (official account, linked from fromage-morbier.com) (instagram)
• Fromage Morbier (official page, linked from fromage-morbier.com) (facebook)

Frequently asked questions

Is Morbier AOP good for raclette?

Yes. Its supple paste melts quickly and turns creamy. Choose a wheel aged two to three months and keep an eye on the raclette pan, because it runs more than a classic raclette.

What is the black line in Morbier made of?

Vegetable charcoal, spread on the curd before pressing. It used to be wood ash. It doesn't change the taste.

How long is Morbier AOP aged?

At least 45 days, and often between two and four months for the fruitier versions.

Read also: all raclette cheeses, the secrets of a perfect raclette and what is raclette?

Sources

• AOC 2000, AOP 2002, origin of the line, 5 to 8 kg, 30 to 40 cm, 45 days, breeds: jura-tourism.com/?p=824
• Production of 13,000 t in 2023, 2,000 producers, 47 creameries, association based in Poligny: presseagence.fr/paris-le-morbier-un-fromage-dappellation-dor
• Aromas by age: fromage-morbier.com/gouts-et-saveurs-du-morbier
• Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Morbier: contact details, social networks, logo: fromage-morbier.com/mentions-legales
• Results of the 35th AOP Morbier competition (2026): fromage-morbier.com/35-eme-concours-de-laop-morbier
• Cheese results of the 2026 Concours Général Agricole (relayed by Le Guide du Fromage): leguidedufromage.com/resultats-concours-general-agricole-fro
• Morbier Monts & Terroirs : montsetterroirs.com/le-morbier-aop
• Morbier AOP specifications (approved on December 18, 2025) : fromage-morbier.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Cahier-des-charges
• Morbier AOP fact sheet (DRAAF Bourgogne-Franche-Comté): aging on wooden boards, 45 days minimum, area : draaf.bourgogne-franche-comte.agriculture.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/FicheAOPMorbier
• Monts & Terroirs, a Sodiaal subsidiary, email : montsetterroirs.com/mentions-legales
• Company register: Fruitière du Berceau du Comté (SIREN 778307173), Coopérative des Monts de Joux (SIREN 778275487), Fruitière des Sources de la Loue (SIREN 778309443) : recherche-entreprises.api.gouv.fr
• Morbier Juraflore : juraflore.com/fr/nos-fromages/morbier-juraflore