Nimbin Valley Dairy 'Sainte Billie'

Surface-ripened lactic
Goat's milk (mixed Saanen, Toggenberg, British Alpine)
Northern Rivers
60g discs
~1 month maturation
www.nimbinvalley.com.au

I can't decide what I like best about this cute little button - its dense, fudgey texture, its ivory, wrinkled skin, or its delicately balanced creamy and lemony flavours.

Nimbin Valley Dairy
'Sainte Billie'

Cheesemaker Paul Wilson has taken inspiration from beautiful French goat's milk cheeses such as Saint-Felicien, Pelardon, Rocamadour and Cabecou. None of those is available in Australia, which makes Sainte Billie even more likeable.

This style of cheese requires great skill to create, and even greater skill to produce really well. Sainte Billie is up there with the best in the country.

In fact, I think what I like best about Sainte Billie is its size - perfect for one. When cheese is this good, who wants to share?

Nimbin Valley Dairy 'Sweet Goat'

Semi-hard
Goat's milk (mixed Saanen, Toggenberg, British Alpine)
Northern Rivers
3kg wheels
3-6 months maturation
www.nimbinvalley.com.au

Close your eyes and take a bite of Sweet Goat, and you could be in the French Alps, nibbling Tomme de Chevre. But chances are, you're probably surrounded by the verdant pastures of the Nimbin Valley, because this cheese is rarely found beyond the Northern Rivers region.

Nimbin Valley Sweet Goat

Cheesemaker Paul Wilson has crafted a beautiful cheese with a mild, earthy aroma, thanks to a rustic rind mottled with pinks, whites and browns. The texture is smooth and supple, and the flavour is reminiscent of hazelnuts, with hints of caramel.

We are fortunate to have cheese-makers like Paul in NSW. Not only does he make great cheese, he wants to make even better cheese, and has travelled to France twice in the last couple of years to improve his craft.

I was lucky enough to try a Sweet Goat that had been matured for more than six months. I ordered it when it was made last Spring, and waited patiently until Autumn, when Paul was satisfied that it had reached its potential. When I tasted it for the first time, I was overwhelmed by its heady aromas, and marvelled at its clean, complex flavours and long finish.

I would happily declare it the best aged goat's cheese I've tasted in years.