Her er historien om ysteriet 

The Saint-Nicolas monastery embodies the ancestral tradition where monks live by the work of their hands. Since 1965, the monastery has exploited the riches of its environment, initially with free-range goat’s milk and, since 2016, with artisanal sheep’s milk. In the past, farming was a flourishing activity, shared with a handful of families from the neighboring hamlet. Today, the alleyways of La Dalmerie are quiet, but the ringing of the bells of the grazing ewes and the sacred songs of Father Gabriel still punctuate the summer atmosphere, accompanied by the song of the cicadas. 
The Monastère de la  Dalmerie cheese dairy, run by Père Gabriel, processes two-thirds of the milk from a single flock of ewes managed according to extensive principles. Around 25,000 liters of milk are transformed into cheeses, including the famous Lingot Saint-Nicolas, emblematic of the region.

Nestled at an altitude of 500 metres in the Monts d’Orb valley, the monastery enjoys an ideal environment for raising small ruminants, making the most of the Mediterranean vegetation. This atmosphere inspires spirituality, guided by Father Gabriel, an artisan cheesemaker whose expertise has been forged over the years. He has adapted the Lingot Saint-Nicolas production process to sheep’s milk, which is richer and requires special attention to guarantee the quality of the final product.

Lingot Saint-Nicolas is made using lactic technology, which requires meticulous management of humidity to help the serum evacuate. Entirely manual, this process is carried out with precision by Père Gabriel, who wishes to highlight the heritage and exceptional microbial balance of the Dalmerie region.

His approach includes using raw milk, optimizing technological flora during milking and inoculating with his own sourdough, thus reducing the risk of contamination and shortening production time. This approach strengthens the link with the terroir, as the milk used for production is fresh, preserving all its original qualities