Esquirrou’s flavor rings like the bell it’s named after. One bite and you can practically hear the delightful chime from the Basque ewes that produce the milk. Aged for at least six months, this Ossau-Iraty PDO cheese gives off the sweet and rustic smell of hay. In 2018, it earned the prestigious award for World Champion Cheese at the Madison, Wisconsin biennial event. An amber rind wraps around a firm ivory inside that is ripe with nutty notes and a nose of herbaceous toasted wheat. Enjoy the rich taste of milk from the black- and red-faced Manech sheep: emanating the ideal balance of the environment’s elements. Pair it with a glass of Bordeaux and bring out the grassy flavors of lush Basque Country.