“How many cheeses do you have to eat to become a cheese expert?” someone asked me recently. As if there’s a checklist. I’m not counting, but I did add several remarkable new cheeses to my life list last week. I led a tasting of “New Arrivals from Europe,” including the beauty pictured above, and I was blown away by these newcomers. It can’t be easy for importers to keep unearthing great finds in Europe, but these five are all new creations, worth seeking out as they filter into retail stores. I predict great futures in the U.S. for these cheeses.

Robiola di Bufala is made by Barlotti, a creamery in Italy’s Campania region that specializes in cheeses from water buffalo milk. It is rare to see a cheese like this from southern Italy; robiola is a northern style. But water buffalo thrive in Campania and their super-rich milk makes a robiola to die for. This 9-ounce round has a moist, tender Geotrichum rind, a creamy layer just underneath and a firm but not chalky core. It smells like mushrooms and sour cream, with a faintly gamy scent that is compelling. Michele Lanza of Fresca Italia, the importer and distributor, says this cheese gets on the plane when it’s less than two weeks old. I give it a 12 out of 10, the extra points for having so much flavor at such a young age.

Robiola Cavina is another delight, but with a more traditional pedigree. It comes from Lombardy, in the north, and from a blend of cow’s and goat’s milk. A square weighing about 9 ounces, it has a thin and tasty rind and a supple, silky interior that hints of mushroom, cooked cabbage and garlic. It does tend to go runny at room temperature so don’t let it sit out too long.

Nieve de Cabra (pictured above) is a lovely, mild, month-old goat cheese from Extremadura, a Spanish region known primarily for sheep cheese. The retailer I purchased it from described it as “simple.” I would call it delicate or gentle, with a refreshing acidity. The texture is my favorite part; it’s open, tender and light on the tongue. I would love to sneak this subtle cheese onto the plates of all those people who tell me they don’t like goat cheese. You can’t not like this. Nieve—Spanish for snow—refers to the pristine whiteness of the bloomy rind.

Anything new from Fromagerie Agour gets my undivided attention. This creamery in France’s Basque region makes some of the world’s best sheep cheese, including Arpea and an Ossau-Iraty that topped all entries at the World Cheese Awards twice. Opari, a new creation, is a goat-sheep blend in the same shape and style as Ossau-Iraty. It is silky and nutty, with a hint of caramel from the goat’s milk. I’m in love.

Red Casanova is a washed-rind cow’s milk cheese produced in Germany’s Allgäu region, in the foothills of the Alps. The milk is certified organic, from eight farmers who banded together 20 years ago to make cheese. A thick 5-1/2-pound square, Red Casanova has the beefy, yeasty, garlicky aromas typical of washed-rind cheeses but a luscious softened-butter texture that sets it apart. No wonder it’s so buttery. It’s made with cream-enriched milk, bringing it close to the fat content of a triple-cream cheese.

Availability will surely grow for these cheeses. In the meantime, check this list for retail sources.