Giusti – Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP Affinato (aged 12 years)

Twelve years in the batteria, and nothing but grape must. Giusti's Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP "Affinato" is not a vinegar you pour over a salad — it is a finishing touch you use drop by drop, and pass around at the table.

What it is

Traditional balsamic DOP has only one ingredient: cooked must from local grapes. No wine vinegar, no colouring, no thickener. The must matures for at least twelve years in a batteria: a series of ever-smaller casks of different woods — oak, chestnut, cherry, ash, juniper. Each year part of it evaporates and is topped up from the next cask. What remains is thick, dark and concentrated.

The DOP designation is protected and is only awarded after assessment by an independent commission in Modena. Only then may the vinegar go into the characteristic bulbous 100 ml bottle.

Taste

High density and a round, velvety texture. Ripe fruit in the foreground, with warm spicy and woody notes that come from the casks. Sweet and sour are in balance — no sharp vinegar edge, but a long, full finish.

How to use it

• A few drops over shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano
• On strawberries or vanilla ice cream
• Over risotto, fresh pasta or polenta, just before serving
• With grilled meat, fish or roasted vegetables
• Neat from the spoon, to close a dinner

Never heat it. Always add it at the last moment — cooking breaks down the aromas that took twelve years to build.

About Giusti

Acetaia Giusti in Modena has existed since 1605, making it the oldest balsamic vinegar producer in the world. The company is still owned by the same family and works with casks that are generations old.

Product details

• Contents: 100 ml
• Ageing: at least 12 years in wooden casks
• Certification: DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta)
• Ingredients: cooked grape must. Contains sulphites.
• Origin: Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Storage: at room temperature, dark and upright — not in the fridge
• Shelf life: up to 10 years from production date; the vinegar keeps well after opening