Description
Aceto Balsamico tradizionale
Its origin is very old, created a thousand years ago in the provinces of Modena and Reggio nell’Emilia in northern Italy. Nowadays, this elixir is still part of the bride’s dowry among the nobility. The raw material for true balsamico is the grape must of the Trebbiano (Trebbiano Modenese and Trebbiano di Spagna), Lambruschi, Occhio di Gatto, Berzemino and Spergola grape varieties (aceto balsamico tradizionale).
Produced in the Emilia-Romagna region from 6 different grape varieties. 90 kg of grapes will give 72 liters of must. This must will be cooked to concentrate the aromas and caramelize the natural sugars. After 12 years of ageing, only a few liters of balsamic will remain.
90 kg of grapes will give approximately 72 liters of must. This must, instead of being immediately transformed into wine, is cooked over a low heat (between 85 and 90° depending on the producer) for 24 to 30 hours, like cooked wine, to concentrate the aromas and caramelize the natural sugars. After this preliminary operation, only twenty to thirty liters of “mosto cotto” (cooked must) will remain, which will be cooled, then housed in demijohns to undergo decantation during the winter. Note that, at the end of the long breeding process of more than 25 years (extra vecchio quality), of the 72 liters of must will only remain one liter of balsamic… It is generally in the spring that the alcoholic fermentation begins very slow in barrels. : in general, alcoholic fermentation stops at 4 degrees of acquired alcohol. It is followed by acetification using bacteria, such as is known for vinegar.
Then comes the secret of balsamico, a particular ripening technique, which varies from one producer to another, which consists of a variation on the principle of the Spanish solera which is used to make sherry. After complete acetification, the balsamico is decanted into a succession of smaller and smaller barrels, each one being made from wood of a different origin. The set of these barrels is called “batteria”. The different species that make it up are oak, chestnut, cherry, ash, mulberry and juniper. Each essence transmits a specific aromatic contribution, color and concentration (aceto balsamico tradizionale).
