Colombier's Flavor Profile Captivates

Some of the most captivating imports at Bay Area cheese counters these days come from Pascal Beillevaire, a respected cheesemaker, cheese-ager (affineur) and retailer in France.

Beillevaire sources artisan cheeses from all over France, purchases them young, oversees their maturation, and then sells them to restaurants or in his own shops. Fortunately, he ships some of these beauties here, too.

Colombier, an aged goat cheese made by a single producer near Lyon, debuted in the Bay Area less than two years ago at San Francisco's Fancy Food Show, a trade fair. Andy Lax, a salesman for a local distributor, sampled it and sensed a winner. "I said, 'I don't care how much that costs,' " Lax recalls. "However much you can send me, send it."

As it happens, Colombier costs a lot. Even at San Francisco's Rainbow Grocery, where the markup is reasonable, the cheese commands just under $40 a pound. But to experience a raw-milk goat cheese with a unique flavor profile, find a special occasion; a 1/4-pound sliver will satisfy two.

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