Acetaia Leonardi 20 Year Aged Juniper Balsamic Balsamico Al Ginepro Dispensa

Juniper-wood Balsamic 20-year: Juniper-aged balsamic was prized in the Roman Empire. Today it is increasingly rare as the vanishing juniper tree is now protected by law, preventing the replenishment of the wood casks. Leonardi maintains 80 barrels of old juniper. The vinegar is aged for a minimum of 20 years exclusively in these barrels, yielding an herbaceous, slightly spicy flavor. With hints of honey, the sweetness is refined and not at all overpowering. This vinegar is perfect for savory foods--try drizzled on a grilled flank steak, topped with arugula. A typically Italian use is a liberal pouring over salami or even a shard of Parmigano-Reggiano cheese. Authentic traditional balsamic vinegar is made from boiled grape must that undergoes natural fermentation and slow acetification, followed by a long aging process in wood casks. Balsamic starts with cooking the juice of the white Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes--the must--over an open wood fire. As the must cooks down, the sugar level rises as the water evaporates and the flavor intensifies. The fermentation begins when previously aged balsamic vinegar is added to the must. As times goes by, and according to the taste and palate of individual producers such as Giovanni Leonardi, the fermenting liquid is transferred to progressively smaller barrels. This sequence of barrels of different sizes and woods, such as oak, walnut, ash, acacia, chestnut, mulberry, etc., is known as a "batteria." A batteria could consist of as few as three barrels and as many as ten. Part of each barrels contents - but never all of it - is decanted to the next smaller barrel, again based on the judgment of the producer. For years the vinegar goes through what is called maturation in the middle part of batteria, then enters the aging phase in the last few barrels. For the most traditional balsamic, Tradizionale, the ultimate step is decantation into the smallest barrel where it rests and matures.

• Aged 20 years in Juniper wood casks
• Herbaceous, slightly spicy flavor
• Hints of honey
• Sweetness is refined and not at all overpowering