Extra Vecchio – Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena aged for 25 years

The Extra Vecchio from Malpighi is an Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP made from pure, cooked grape must, aged for at least 25 years in wooden barrels. Not a young balsamic and not an everyday product, but the most mature grade of Tradizionale, recognizable by its gold capsule.

The Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP Extra Vecchio from Acetaia Malpighi is created solely from cooked must of Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes, without the addition of wine vinegar. It matures for at least 25 years in a series of barrels made from various woods, reaching a density of 1.34 and an acidity level of 4.5%. It is only allowed to call itself Extra Vecchio after inspection by the Consortium.

Viscous, velvety, with a long finish

Dark brown and glossy, the Extra Vecchio flows thick from the spoon; its aroma is mature and deep, the taste sweet with a fine acidity at the end. One drop lingers long, very long.

Spicy, velvety, viscous—it sits heavy and slow on the tongue, accompanied by that natural umami note that only decades in wood can impart. Where a young vinegar is loud, this one speaks softly and deeply. You quickly realize why such an aceto is sold only in small bottles.

Pure from the spoon as a little finale

An Extra Vecchio is too precious for the pan; it is served raw and pure, often as a digestif on a small porcelain spoon. This way, you taste the entire decades at once, with nothing else to distract you.

It belongs among the most beautiful moments at the end of a meal, a few drops on aged Parmigiano Reggiano, on fresh strawberries with ricotta, or over creamy ice cream. Even a piece of dark chocolate pairs well with it. You never need more than a few drops; its aroma is that dense and concentrated.

Twenty-five years and the gold capsule

For the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, the must is cooked down by about a third in open kettles before the "mother" of vinegar, passed down through generations, is added.

It matures in a series of progressively smaller barrels made of oak, chestnut, cherry, mulberry, and juniper, transferred annually while a portion evaporates through the pores of the wood. In this way, many liters turn into one precious bottle over the decades. Acetaia Malpighi has been guarding this treasure since 1850, now in its fifth generation under Massimo Malpighi, with over 3,500 barrels in their historic lofts.

After 25 years and inspection by the Consortium, the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP is filled into the spherical 100 ml bottle designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and sealed with a gold capsule, the mark of the Extra Vecchio. "The taste of our balsamic is the most beautiful gift," as Augusto Malpighi used to say. Quite right.

Pure and in small quantities, nothing else

Stored dark and tightly sealed, the Extra Vecchio will keep for years. Pure and in small amounts, it speaks for itself. Such a bottle is also a gift that will be remembered for a long time. If you would like to get to know its slightly younger brother, you can find our Affinato aged for twelve years, further specialties from Acetaia Malpighi, and the entire world of dark Aceto Balsamico.