Gran Capirete Reserva – Sherry Vinegar

Gran Capirete Reserva, an aged Sherry Vinegar from Jerez

Gran Capirete Reserva is a sherry vinegar, a Vinagre de Jerez Reserva from the Andalusian Sherry Triangle. Aged in the Criaderas y Solera system in American oak, some for as long as half a century. Not a young kitchen vinegar, but a dark, concentrated finish for that final touch.

Gran Capirete Reserva is a sherry vinegar from Jerez, Spain, a Vinagre de Jerez Reserva with a deep mahogany brown color. It is aged using the traditional Criaderas y Solera method in American oak casks that previously held sherry. Some of its vinegars are over 50 years old, giving it a rare depth.

Mahogany in the glass, dried fruit on the nose

Dark and almost syrupy, the Gran Capirete flows into the glass, with aromas of raisins, plums, and nuts, and a well-integrated acidity.

Hold the glass up to the light and you will see a deep reddish-brown, almost like aged rum. At around 8% acidity, it is potent but never sharp, as the long years in wood have rounded out the bite. On the palate, it is reminiscent of long-aged wine—spicy, nutty, malty—and its finish lingers for a long time. You only need a few drops; there is that much flavor packed into this dark elixir.

Drop by drop for the grand finale

Because it is so concentrated, the Gran Capirete is used sparingly—a few drops over the finished dish just before it is served.

It provides the final, deep note when drizzled over grilled vegetables, a cold gazpacho, or a piece of aged Manchego. Even a splash adds depth to lentil soup or a pot roast. It also pairs wonderfully with ripe strawberries or a sliver of Parmesan—anywhere you would otherwise reach for an aged balsamic. For your daily dressing, the younger Vinagre de Jerez is the right choice; this one is your "Sunday vinegar." You can find more Spanish and Italian varieties in our selection of wine vinegar.

Criaderas y Solera, the patient system

Like the sherry itself, the vinegar is aged in the Criaderas y Solera system, a stack of barrels in which the vinegar slowly travels from top to bottom.

At the very bottom rests the oldest vinegar in the Solera, which is drawn off for bottling. What is removed is replenished by the row above, the Criadera, and so on up to the youngest layer at the top. Cask by cask, the American oak imparts color, aroma, and softness to the vinegar. In this Reserva, about 25% of the vinegar is over 50 years old, about 60% is over 20 years old, and the rest is between three and twelve years old.

Behind Capirete is the José Páez Lobato family from Jerez de la Frontera, who have specialized in Vinagre de Jerez for over 60 years. Their vinegar bears the protected designation of origin (DOP) and comes from the Sherry Triangle between Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María, where the Consejo Regulador keeps watch over every bottle. Just as the Páez family has done since 1933.

If you enjoy olives from the same producer, try the Hojiblanca olives with bell pepper, pickled in their own vinegar, or browse through all Capirete products.