Cavedoni Botte Piccola Italian Balsamic
$34.99 + $5 shipping
CONDITION: Tangy
PRODUCT: 1 Cavedoni Botte Piccola Italian Balsamic, 250 ml bottle

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Previous Offer Forums:
12/6/2010
12/3/2009
8/6/2009
12/2/2008
7/10/2008

This is better than all the Cosentino wines they could drag out. A must buy and I don't have to wait until gift week this time.

OK, so more of you have got to taste this, from the last woot. Give us your notes. What makes it better? Is it really THAT good? Can't I get away with some top end stuff from Whole Foods?

MMM mm! I got this back in '08 and it was pretty great. My whole family loved it, too.

We used it with strawberries and ice cream (sounds weird, but really good), for caprese salads, balsamic dressings... it's perfect for almost anything (even just a spoonful plain!!).

I have ordered this from woot for over 2 years. I love it. It tastes great over anything. I have had it on strawberries, ice cream, and of course tomatoes and mozzarella. It is fantastic. I bought 3 bottles a few months ago. I about to finish the 2nd and start the 3rd. A little goes a long way. If you love fine balsamic, you will not be disappointed in this purchase. It is a 10 out of 10. Highly recommend this product.

Yeah, people say vinegar and ice cream? EWWW. but if the balsamic is REALLY good then the two are awesome!

Now I just have to decied if I'm in for one or two?

I bought this last time and it is fantastic - complex and caramel-y. It makes everything from fish to asparagus to strawberries more delicious and will make you look like a genius when you cook. You only need a tiny bit to add a lot of flavor, so it's a better value than it seems.

This was my first foray into serious balsamic and I ended up spending twice as much on a less delightful vinegar when my bottle ran out.

In for sure.

In for 3!! Great balsamic and incredible on so many things. We love it on ice cream and blackberries! It also makes a great present.

Well what a fantastic surprise! In and in

richardhod wrote:OK, so more of you have got to taste this, from the last woot. Give us your notes. What makes it better? Is it really THAT good? Can't I get away with some top end stuff from Whole Foods?

Its comparable to the high end stuff at whole foods...only cheaper.

richardhod wrote:OK, so more of you have got to taste this, from the last woot. Give us your notes. What makes it better? Is it really THAT good? Can't I get away with some top end stuff from Whole Foods?

It is pretty excellent stuff. Expensive, yes, but certainly of a quality and complexity that you don't often see. It's significantly nicer than the bottle of 25 year aged balsamic labeled by B.R. Cohn I have in my kitchen. Now that I've tasted this stuff, I'm really close to pulling the trigger, whereas previously I took one look and said "$40 balsamic?! Auto-pass!"

This vinegar is really wonderful. I've used it on steak, ice cream, and in vinaigrettes. It's not for everyday, obviously, but really is worth having on hand for a special occasion. Highly recommended, and I'll probably be picking up a bottle this time around.

I have come close to clicking the big yellow button for this one in previous offerings but I always convinced myself I didn't need it. Well, this afternoon my bottle of traditional balsamic hit the last drop so this will be much easier to justify. Now I just need to hope that my wife doesn't look at woot today and see the price!

C'mon... qualifty?

I want to buy this, but let's run a spell check.

Am I missing something? Or is that just wrong?

Been waiting and waiting for this! In for THREE!

And yes.. it is really THAT good. It's smooth and buttery, sweet and sour, just lovely on about anything. I think I'd eat shoe leather if it was smothered in this stuff. I've tried to find something like this at the same cost many many times. Never can, probably never will. Buy it and don't buy just one. Buy THREE!

I am always tempted to get this when it shows up on Wine.Woot but at $40 incl. shipping for 8.45 fluid ounces (one + slightly less than a half cup) of vinegar... ugh. Can it really be worth that much?

We gave a bottle of this stuff to my wife's parents last Christmas. They ran out around April and ordered more over the internet the day they ran out for about $50.

This vinegar pours thick, and has an intense complex sweetness that is fantastic on a variety of foods. The first time I had it was at an Enoteca in Castellina in Chianti on a piece of hard cheese while tasting some local wines.

As to what makes it special over the high end stuff at Whole Foods I cannot answer, because I haven't tried the high end stuff at Whole Foods. I have seen high end stuff at my local market, however, and it ranges from $30-$300 for a similarly sized bottle so it stands to reason that this bottle's price is not out of line and is a substantial discount to what you (or my in-laws) would pay ordering it directly from Cavedoni.

I bought a bottle on the last go round and was a little let down actually. Its really interesting stuff, and I've never had anything like it. But it didn't live up to the hype for me. It just has a flavor profile that makes it not very useful for most of my cooking.

Its really sweet and viscous, not much of that vinegar tang left. And has a thick smokiness to it. While interesting, it left me wondering what to do with it. I always use very nice balsamic and olive oil on my salads and this just doesn't work at all for that. I find a few drops along with a more pedestrian vinegar gives a salad a nice accent though. Drizzle a bit over some sauteed veggies is nice, but it overpowers everything. Not subtle at all.

Anyway, this is high end stuff. And I respect it for what it is. But I just wanted to give a different perspective - it may not be for everyone. And its certainly not a replacement for standard $10 grocery store balsamic in your salads and recipes.

Jeff

This really makes up for two long dog days. Thanks WD!

I have a really short memory

This isn't aged for the 12 years the really good stuff is but grape must and not vinegar is listed first on the ingredient list....

what to do, what to do

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balsamic_vinegar

SilverStar830 wrote:I am always tempted to get this when it shows up on Wine.Woot but at $40 incl. shipping for 8.45 fluid ounces (one + slightly less than a half cup) of vinegar... ugh. Can it really be worth that much?

Yes.

SilverStar830 wrote:I am always tempted to get this when it shows up on Wine.Woot but at $40 incl. shipping for 8.45 fluid ounces (one + slightly less than a half cup) of vinegar... ugh. Can it really be worth that much?

It is definitely worth it if you enjoy balsamic. It is most definitely a treat and not your everyday balsamic.

$5 shipping. So, it won't come by refrigerated truck?

scorpshockey wrote:This vinegar is really wonderful. I've used it on steak, ice cream, and in vinaigrettes. It's not for everyday, obviously, but really is worth having on hand for a special occasion. Highly recommended, and I'll probably be picking up a bottle this time around.

The problem is having it on hand makes it everyday balsamic! Then I go looking for even more esoteric vinegars and soon I'll need a vinegar cooler and on and and.... Oh woot what have you done?!

you don't refrigerate this stuff!!! Ack.

bskuared wrote:you don't refrigerate this stuff!!! Ack.

I knew that. I was being facetious.

tommythecat78 wrote:Its comparable to the high end stuff at whole foods...only cheaper.

It costs MORE there? This looks really expensive for a tiny bottle.

And isn't it very sweet for Balsamic ?

My wife literally cried when I told her I just ordered three bottles of this beautiful, black goodness.

I have purchased this wonderful product twice during past Woot offerings, and my only regret is that I didn't buy enough.

We've looked for it when we ran out...and it's impossible to find at this insanely low price, and we've yet to find a comparable alternative.

It's superb on most any food...strawberries, ice cream, grilled meats and breads, pasta, salad, etc. I even find myself licking my fingers when I get this sticky stuff on them between slugs of fine woot wine. Once, I caught my wife licking the bottle. Ok...TMI.

Basically, you can't go wrong here!

Fine wine still eludes us

First time I bought one bottle. Missed the second time it was on wine woot, sold out quick. The third time it came up I bought two (one for me and one for a friend). This time I am buying three, this stuff is awesome!

bsevern wrote:Fine wine still alludes us

Are you alluding to the fact that an offering of wine currently eludes us?

Okay. I took the word of wooters experienced with this stuff and pulled the trigger on three. One for me, one for my parents, and one for my little sis.

Now I just have to hope and pray it arrives by July 2nd before I head out of town to go visit them for the 4th of July holiday!

Will eleven full business days be long enough for woot to send them and I to receive them? I wonder.

klezman wrote:It is pretty excellent stuff. Expensive, yes, but certainly of a quality and complexity that you don't often see. It's significantly nicer than the bottle of 25 year aged balsamic labeled by B.R. Cohn I have in my kitchen. Now that I've tasted this stuff, I'm really close to pulling the trigger, whereas previously I took one look and said "$40 balsamic?! Auto-pass!"

OK, fine, WD and Cavedoni. You got me. Last wooter to woot: klezman

bskuared wrote:you don't refrigerate this stuff!!! Ack.

I can't speak to the "qualifty" of this vinegar; but by cooler I meant cellar temp perfect for storing wine, vinegar, possibly cheese, or salami

This vinegar is wonderful! My husband and I enjoy it on melon wrapped with prosciutto, toasted baguettes, and like others have said, over fresh berries. The complex notes and warm, sweet flavors hit notes on my tongue I can't even fully describe! Would be in for ten if I could afford it.

This may have been the first Wine.Woot I purchased and it remains a favorite. I bought a few the first time and several the next time it came up. We've given it as gifts (always very well received) and have enjoyed it ourselves. We still have a couple of bottles stashed away -- it keeps well, in a cool dark place, in the box.

I have tasted 100 year old balsamico tradizionale at an acetaia in Modena, straight from the cask, and I think this is a very nice balsamic. It is not "tradizionale" meaning it doesn't comply with the classification standards, but you might notice the one they have that does is $145, which is not unusual; often they're more.

Don't think of this as the kind of vinegar you'd use to pickle something or splash over a salad. It's more of a condiment -- thick, agrodolce (sour-sweet), intense -- a little goes a long way, which is to say it lasts a long time.

We use it as a few drops on the plate with a savory dish, or to enhance a sauce, and I love it in desserts -- mixed with strawberries draped over panna cotta, or in an endive strudel. Really! check it out:

http://jennieschacht.com/blog

My opinion: it's expensive but well worth it. Buon' appetito!

richardhod wrote:It costs MORE there? This looks really expensive for a tiny bottle.

And isn't it very sweet for Balsamic ?

Real traditional balsamic usually sells in 100mL bottles for 100 to 200 dollars -- this stuff isn't "tradizionale," since it hasn't been aged for the required 12 years.

Real balsamic tends to come out sweeter due to the aging process in the barrels. The cheap stuff you get at the grocery store is just vinegar with caramel and sweetener added for color and sweetness, and so tends to be a bit more sour -- true balsamic isn't made from a vinegar, but starts out as what is essentially reduced grape juice.

One of my instructors let us try some he had that had been aged for 25 years, and I tell you, I have never in my life wanted to just eat spoonfuls of something so badly...

Allieroon wrote:...We've looked for it when we ran out and it's impossible to find at this insanely low price...

It's $55 direct from the website. Not sure how much they charge for shipping, if at all.

I still have more than half of mine from the last offering - definitely good stuff. It is more potent and has thicker consistency than the storebought stuff so you won't have to use as much to get wonderful flavor. Use this in a caprese salad and you will never go back!;-)