If I were giving an award for “Most Likely to Succeed,” this Swiss beauty would be a contender. A relative newcomer, it has already taken root at cheese counters nationwide, and it’s a reliable audience favorite when I serve it in classes. Creamy, nutty and balanced, with alluring aromas, it’s a people-pleaser at an inviting price.

Kaltbach Le Crémeux (“the creamy one”) debuted about four years ago, from the same Swiss producer (Emmi) that makes the popular Kaltbach Le Gruyère. Le Crémeux resembles Gruyère but with several key differences: the former has more moisture, more cream and a shorter maturation—four months versus at least a year. What’s more, Gruyère is made with raw milk and animal rennet; Le Crémeux with pasteurized milk and microbial rennet. Now that I think about it, maybe they aren’t so similar.

Le Crémeux is semisoft and supple; a thin slice bends without breaking. The interior, the color of rich butter, has a nutty, roasted-onion scent with hints of mustard and buttery omelet. It doesn’t have the concentrated brown-butter aroma of an aged Gruyère, or the depth of flavor, but Le Crémeux’s silky texture is compelling. At 55 percent fat (that’s in the dry matter—the cheese minus its water), Le Crémeux is richer than most alpine wheels of similar style.

The Kaltbach Cave is a mile-long sandstone labyrinth carved out of a mountain near Lucerne by an underground river. Geologists estimate that it is 22 million years old. The cool space provides ideal conditions for aging cheese—a stable 50°F and 96 percent humidity—and Emmi has used it for that purpose since 1993. The cave certainly works some magic, but there’s no underestimating the skills of Emmi’s cheesemaking team.

Many Whole Foods stores carry Kaltbach Le Crémeux; I found it for $21.99 a pound. On the East Coast, look for it at Bedford Cheese Shop and Zabar’s (New York City); Gary’s Wine, Grape Collective, ShopRite and Wine Library (New Jersey); Di Bruno Bros (Philadelphia) and Wegmans; in the Midwest, Metcalfe’s; and online at igourmet.com.

Chardonnay or another rich white would echo the cheese’s buttery notes and voluptuous mouthfeel. An off-dry sherry complements the nuttiness, and a Belgian dubbel or German doppelbock would make a great match for beer fans.