`Cento per Cento` Aceto Balsamico, Acetaia Pedroni, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (25cl)

As described by UK importer, Liberty Wines:

The Pedroni family started an ‘osteria’ in Nonantola in 1862 and soon afterwards began making their own ‘aceto balsamico’ from the local Trebbiano di Spagna grapes. The ‘batterie’ laid down by the successive generations of Pedroni are the secret to the quality of their ‘aceto’. Giuseppe is the sixth generation of the Pedroni family to be involved in the business. He uses the ancient stock he has inherited to put together blends that consistently put the Pedroni ‘aceto’ at the top of the quality tree. This stock is made from wine produced from their own 10 hectares of vineyard, then concentrated in a cooker for 24 – 36 hours at 95°C. This slow cooking gives the caramelised character of great ‘aceto’, which can only be replicated in industrial products (that are made from concentrated grape must) by the addition of caramel.

The ‘Vecchio’, aged in 200 litre barrels for four years, is real ‘aceto balsamico’ at an affordable price. The ‘Cento per Cento’ is a little less dense, having been aged for two years in barrel. Both are made from Pedroni’s own wine and do not have caramel added. His only concession to commercial vinegar is the ‘Giovane’, which is aged for a year but does have caramel added.

To understand the consistency of the Pedroni vinegars (which is attributable to Giuseppe’s 1,700 barrels of aged vinegar), you just need to look at the results from the ‘Palio di San Giovanni’ – a competition that takes place every spring. The Pedroni vinegars have won 24 diplomas in 45 years, including the top prize on several occasions.