WTN: Osmin Abouriou

I've posted about a couple other South-West wines from Lionel Osmin before. Today I saw a new one and since the previous two were so good I immediately bought one. This time it's a varietal Abouriou - generally considered a mediocre grape and used most often for blending.

Lionel Osmin Abouriou 2015 - Côtes du Marmandais; c.16€; 13,5% abv
Very dark colour, so much so I was dreading purplosity. But nope, the scent is clean and pure and seems just as unspoofulated as the other Osmins I have tried. The scent is sweet and ripe with a mix of dark, earthy and spicy notes and sweet, bright strawberry fruit. It seems like you get the whole S. Rhône blend from a single grape! The palate is also fairly big and fruity, tannic but low in acidity. Despite the low acidity, there is a pleasant slight tartness to the finish and it is refreshing enough though not quite as moreish as I would ideally like (what can I say, I always crave acidity). Once again a very positive experience at a decent price from Osmin. Osmin at least makes a wine from Abouriou that far exceeds the grape's reputation.

I left a bottle of Lionel Osmin's Marcillac at my son's place. I hope it is as good as this. I think that Elian da Ros makes an Abouriou cuvée.

[Jenise]

Never heard of the grape. I'll look it up!