Gocce Italiane Balsamic Vinegar Condiment, 6 Year Aged Modena

Condiment · The sweeter one

One ingredient, cooked grape must, aged 6 years in wood. Because no wine vinegar is added, it's less acidic, a little sweeter and thicker. Made to finish a dish rather than just dress it.

• Cooked grape must only

• Aged 6 years in wood

• Grapes from Modena

• No added sugar

Taste what time does

Same grape must, more years in wood. Each step adds sweetness, depth and body.

• 6 Year 100 ml · $25 · 250 ml · $35 Sweet ●●●●○ Savory ●●○○○ Body ●●●○○ Everyday drizzling: salads, cheese, roasted vegetables.

• 10 Year 100 ml · $35 · 250 ml · $45 Sweet ●●●●○ Savory ●●●○○ Body ●●●●○ When the balsamic is the point of the dish. See the 10 Year →

• Condiment Trio 6, 10 and 15 years · wooden gift box Taste what a decade in wood does, side by side. See the Trio →

How it tastes

Four of the five basic tastes, plus the aroma the barrels leave behind. Sweet leads, with the tang kept soft.

• Sweet ●●●●○ The lead. Ripe, cooked grape.

• Tangy ●●○○○ Soft. Enough to keep it lively.

• Bitter ●○○○○ Barely there.

• Savory ●●○○○ A little depth, enough for cheese.

• Wood and smoke ●●○○○ A gentle toastiness from the barrel.

• Body ●●●○○ Thicker. It pours slowly.

Use it on

• A charcuterie boardIt pours slowly, so it stays where you put it.

• Salads and vegetablesRaw or roasted, a spoonful at the end.

• Grilled and roast meatA spoonful over the slices.

• Bread and olive oilA few drops in a dish of good oil.

Where it sits in the range

• IGP Tangy, thin. By the splash.

• White Sweet and pale. By the spoon.

• Condiment Sweeter, thicker. By the spoon.

• Traditional DOP Deep, savory. By the drop.

Straight answers

What makes it a condiment?

It's cooked grape must and nothing else, aged in wood. No wine vinegar is added, which is what makes it less acidic, a little sweeter and thicker than a balsamic vinegar.

Is it the same as Traditional DOP?

Same single ingredient, fewer years, and no Consorzio tasting panel or sealed bottle. Think of it as the everyday version.

Can I cook with it?

You can, but it shines at the end. Add it after the heat.

6 or 10 years?

The 6 for everyday drizzling, the 10 when the balsamic is the point of the dish.

100 ml or 250 ml?

The 100 ml is the right first bottle and an easy gift. The 250 ml works out 44% cheaper per millilitre.

Made by Gocce Italiane, a fourth generation family in Modena, on a farm that dates to 1871. They grow their own Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes. Meet the family