Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale Extravecchio

Extravecchio, this name stands for the premier class of traditionally produced balsamic vinegar. Vecchio is Italian and means "old". So we are dealing with an extra old balsamic vinegar when a bottle bears this name. Since an exact age on the bottles is not permitted according to the guidelines and there is basically only two age groups with the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP, the addition: "extravecchio" was decided for the second age group. The second age group is a balsamic vinegar that is traditionally aged for more than 25 years in various wooden barrels and under the warm Modena airallowed to evaporate. The consistency of an extravecchio is almost always syrupy due to the evaporation process that takes many years. Its taste is usually always sweeter and often more intense compared to the first age group.

The written addition "extravecchio" does not necessarily have to be noted on the bottle , since the consortium only uses the cap of the wrong one to make a definitive distinction. This is in the color " gold " for an extravecchio. So if you buy a real Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP with a golden cap and in the typical bottle shape (as shown), then it is an extravecchio. If the cap is red or cream-colored, it is the first, younger stage of maturity (12 years).

Image: ABTM Bompana Extravecchio - 25+

Wortherkunft:

Since this word is a word creation that is not really in the Italian dictionaries - I took a closer look at the frequencies of the spellings. The written variant " extravecchio " clearly outweighs the written variant " extra vecchio ". The word is probably based on the word "extravergine", which is known from a good olive oil and stands for "untreated, native". Acteto Balsamico Tradizionale is also untreated, as it consists exclusively of concentrated grape must.