Defrutum Balsamic Vinegar IGP 8 yr Aged – 4 Crowns

Defrutum 8-year aged balsamic vinegar IGP is a well-rounded vinegar that will delight at any dinner. It has a treacly depth that lets this balsamic shine both in cooking and straight from the bottle.

Defrutum balsamic vinegar is made from the cooked grape must of Lambrusco grapes and a little wine vinegar. The grape must gives the balsamic its signature sweetness, while the wine vinegar adds sharpness and acidity.

This 8-year aged balsamic vinegar is particularly good in sauces for grilled meats. Use with red wine to deglaze a pan and reduce until thick. The treacle-like notes of this balsamic go well with beef and pork. 8-year aged balsamic has a milder acidity than younger balsamic vinegars, so is also great with extra virgin olive for dipping bread.

Defrutum 8-year aged balsamic vinegar has been awarded IGP, or Indicazione Geografica Protetta, status. This shows that it is one of the protected classifications of balsamic vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. The production process is rigorously monitored – and unlike ‘balsamic condiment’ or cheaper ‘balsamic vinegars’ – which usually have no ageing, true Balsamic Vinegar of Modena must be aged for a minimum of 60 days in wood.

In fact, this balsamic vinegar is aged for 8 years in barrels of different woods – oak, cherry, chestnut, juniper and ash. This is according to a centuries-old balsamic-making tradition, and plays a large part in giving the vinegar its complex layers of flavour.

Officinae Defrutum balsamic vinegars and condiments are made on a family-run farm in Modena, in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region. They are made only with Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes that are grown in the farm’s surrounding vineyards, so the entire production is closed cycle. Emilia-Romagna’s climate of extremes – very hot summers and freezing winters – provides the best conditions for fermenting and maturing balsamic vinegar. The production and ageing methods have been passed down through four generations of balsamic vinegar makers.

Ingredients: cooked grape must, wine vinegar. Contains sulphites.