Saint-Nectaire PDO: The Cheese of Auvergne Raclette

In short: Saint-Nectaire is the cheese of the volcanic pastures between Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal, protected since 1955 and made either as a farmhouse raw-milk cheese or as a dairy version. Its supple paste melts without a fight, which makes it a serious candidate for an Auvergne-style raclette.

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

Fact sheet: Saint-Nectaire PDO

Country	France
Region	Auvergne (Monts-Dore, Puy-de-Dôme and northern Cantal)
Designation	AOC since 1955, PDO at European level since 1996 (sources: aop-saintnectaire.com, section “Le Saint-Nectaire en bref”; Wikipedia for the PDO date)
Milk	cow; raw and whole for the farmhouse version, pasteurized or thermized for the dairy version
Paste	uncooked pressed, rind washed with salted water
Aging	28 days minimum (trade association); often 5 to 8 weeks for the farmhouse version, sometimes more
Size	wheel of about 1.7 kg (3.7 lb), 21 cm (8.3 in) in diameter, 3.5 to 5.5 cm (1.4 to 2.2 in) thick; also available in a reduced size of 0.5 to 0.7 kg and 12 to 14 cm, aged at least 21 days (2025 specification)
Flavor	mild (dairy) to fruity (aged farmhouse)
Melt	4/5: supple paste that melts quickly and coats well, without releasing much fat; a well-aged farmhouse version becomes runnier and more pronounced

Its story

Before it was called Saint-Nectaire, this cheese went by far less chic nicknames, including “rye cheese,” because it was aged on rye straw. According to the trade association, the current name appears in the second half of the 17th century. Marshal Henri de Senneterre is said to have had Louis XIV taste it, and the king allegedly asked for more, to the point of having it brought to court. For a long time, though, it remained a home cheese, made on the farm, often by women, twice a day after milking. The industry organized itself in the 20th century, obtained its designation of origin in 1955 and European protection in 1996. Today, the trade association reports about 14,500 tonnes a year, including 8,500 tonnes of farmhouse cheese. All of that on one of the smallest designation areas on the continent: no wonder the cows of the Sancy have a slightly important air about them.

Post: © Fromage AOP Saint-Nectaire (trade association), link found on aop-saintnectaire.com, view on Instagram

Flavor and melt: what happens in the pan

There are two Saint-Nectaires, and they don’t quite have the same character. The dairy version, made in a dairy with pasteurized or thermized milk, is described by the trade association as milder, with notes of cream and butter. The farmhouse version, made with raw milk processed right after milking, gains in complexity: hazelnut, forest floor, sometimes a hint of mushroom that recalls the cellar. Under heat, the supple paste relaxes quickly and coats the potato without forming a pool of oil, which we see as its great strength. It doesn’t cascade quite as much as a Swiss raclette cut for the job, but it makes up for it in flavor. A young farmhouse cheese gives a creamy, round melt, while a more aged one will be runnier and more fragrant. The rind is up for debate: some scrape it off, others let it toast. Either way, nobody has ever left a raclette night complaining about too much Saint-Nectaire.

On the nose and palate: milky, buttery and hazelnut for the dairy version; more complex, fruity and sometimes mushroomy for the farmhouse version, with a cellar aroma

How to serve it

Plan on 200 to 250 g (7 to 9 oz) per person, as for a classic raclette, a little more if your guests hiked up the Puy de Sancy that morning. Take the cheese out of the refrigerator an hour ahead so the paste is already supple. With a raclette pan grill, cut slices half a centimeter (1/4 in) thick, rind on or off depending on taste. For a spectacular version, a whole wheel cut in half goes under a half-wheel scraper grill: the paste is scraped off in a veil. Serve with potatoes in their skins, Auvergne cured meats and a walnut salad. Pair it with a supple red wine or a Chardonnay white. And keep the leftovers: they end up very nicely in a truffade.

Pairings

• Wines: red Chinon, Pomerol, Chardonnay white, Chanturgue (Auvergne red)
• On the table: steamed potatoes, Auvergne ham and dry sausage, truffade the next day, green salad with walnuts

Our recipes with this cheese

• Traditional raclette, the basic recipe
• Raclette-stuffed mushrooms
• Oven-baked raclette potato

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

Saint-Nectaire PDO producers: the directory

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

The biggest producers

The biggest volumes: industrial makers and large cooperatives.

The best known

The brands you come across in stores.

The most renowned

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

Small local producers

Farms, mountain pastures and village cheese dairies.

Where to buy it

The simplest way is still to go to the source: many farms in the area, around Saint-Nectaire, Besse or Picherande, sell their cheese on site and open their cheesemaking to visitors. At a cheese shop or supermarket, look at the casein plate set on the rind: green and oval for the raw-milk farmhouse cheese, square and translucent for the dairy version. The PDO mention and the designation logo must appear on the label. For a raclette, ask for a cheese that isn’t too dry, aged between five and eight weeks. Affineurs also sell online and deliver all over France.

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

Follow on social media

• Official AOP Saint-Nectaire channel (link from aop-saintnectaire.com) (youtube)
• AOP Saint-Nectaire (pinterest)
• AOP Saint-Nectaire (tiktok)

Frequently asked questions

Can you really make raclette with Saint-Nectaire?

Yes. Its uncooked pressed paste melts well and coats the potato. The flavor is milkier and more hazelnutty than a raclette from Savoie or Valais, hence the nickname Auvergne raclette.

Farmhouse or dairy for raclette?

The dairy version, milder, will please everyone and melts evenly. The raw-milk farmhouse version brings more character. Many tables put both on the board to compare.

How do you recognize a farmhouse Saint-Nectaire?

By the green oval casein plate stuck to the rind. The dairy version carries a square, translucent plate, according to the trade association.

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

Sources

• Key figures (1955, 1.7 kg, 21 cm, 28 days, 14,500 t including 8,500 t farmhouse): aop-saintnectaire.com/saint-nectaire-en-bref
• Farmhouse / dairy difference and casein plates: aop-saintnectaire.com/fromage/laitier-fermier
• History (rye cheese, Senneterre, Louis XIV): aop-saintnectaire.com/savoir-faire-historique/historique
• Wine pairings (Chinon, Pomerol, Chanturgue, Chardonnay): aop-saintnectaire.com/fromage/accords
• 2026 results of the official AOP Saint-Nectaire Competition: aop-saintnectaire.com/actualites/palmares-2026-concours-offi
• 2023 results (Charrade, Terres d’Auvergne, Société Fromagère de Tauves): reussir.fr/agriculture-massif-central/les-meilleurs-saint-ne
• Dischamp, leader in dairy Saint-Nectaire (2008): reussir.fr/lait/dischamp-devient-le-leader-du-saint-nectaire
• Lactalis invests in Condat (2021): reussir.fr/agriculture-massif-central/lactalis-investit-plus
• PDO specification approved on November 6, 2025 (sizes, reduced size, aging): info.agriculture.gouv.fr/boagri/document_administratif-77cf54
• Dischamp: address and email (legal notice): pauldischamp.com/mentions-legales
• Lactalis takes over the Wälchli dairy: reussir.fr/lesmarches/lactalis-reprend-100-de-la-fromagerie-w
• Les Terres d’Auvergne: shop, address, phone (Sancy tourist office): sancy.com/fr/fiche/commerce-et-service/la-boutique-terres-d-
• Ferme de la Vallée de l’Avenir: phone, visits (Sancy tourist office): sancy.com/fr/fiche/degustation/ferme-de-la-vallee-de-l-aveni
• La Ferme de Ravel: address and social media (Sancy tourist office): auvergne-sancy.com/en/fiche/degustation/gaec-du-village-la-f
• PDO date 1996, dimensions: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Nectaire
• Active trade association (SIREN 779176510): recherche-entreprises.api.gouv.fr/search?q=interprofession%2