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Abouriou is a grape so obscure that most French sommeliers would need a moment. It comes from the Lot-et-Garonne in south-west France, where it was rediscovered growing wild on a hillside in the 1840s by a farmer named Numa Naugé, who liked it enough to propagate it. It nearly vanished again in the twentieth century, and today only a few hundred hectares remain.
So why write about it? Because Abouriou is the unheralded virtuoso: an early-ripening, deeply coloured, softly rustic red that the Côtes du Marmandais has quietly kept alive, and because the wine world’s best stories are usually hiding in its smallest corners.
Table of Contents
What Does Abouriou Taste Like?
Blackberry, black cherry and plum, with violets, black pepper, dried herbs and an earthy, slightly wild edge. It is inky dark, medium to full in body, with soft-to-firm tannin and moderate acidity. It is not a complex wine, but it is honest, hearty and very good with a plate of duck.
| Aspect | Rating out of 5 | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | 🍷 | Dry, an honest country red |
| Body | 🍷🍷🍷🍷 | Medium to full, sturdier than its obscurity suggests |
| Tannins | 🍷🍷🍷🍷 | Firm but rustic, softened by time |
| Acidity | 🍷🍷🍷 | Moderate, a farmer’s balance |
| Alcohol by Volume | 🍷🍷🍷 | Modest, usually 12.5–13.5% |
Each wine glass icon is one point on a 5-point scale: one glass is low, five is high, based on the grape’s typical style.
Where It Grows
The Côtes du Marmandais, a small appellation on the Garonne river between Bordeaux and Toulouse, is its only real home. Rules there allow it into blends with Merlot, Cabernet and Malbec, and a handful of growers bottle it on its own. A few plots survive in the Loire and, oddly, in California, where it was once grown under the name Early Burgundy.
Australia has no commercial Abouriou that we know of, and we looked. If a nursery ever brings it in, our warm regions would suit an early-ripening grape well. Until then, the nearest thing with an Australian postcode is a rustic Shiraz Malbec blend, which does the same dark, earthy, duck-friendly job.
How to Serve It
Temperature: 15–17°C.
Glass: a medium red bowl; see the glasses roundup.
Decanting: half an hour in a decanter helps young bottles.
Ageing: drink within five years. It is a country wine, not a cellar project.
What to Eat With It
South-west French food: duck confit, cassoulet, pork sausages, bacon and lentil dishes like our lentil pairing guide suggests. It also suits mushroom dishes and hard cheeses. More in the pairing guides.
Celebrated Wine Labels
| Wine Label | Country | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Domaine du Cros | France | Marcillac-based family with a soft spot for old south-west grapes |
| Château Beauséjour | France | Côtes du Marmandais, one of the few bottling Abouriou solo |
| Clos Siguier | France | Cahors old vines, Abouriou among the field blend |
| Elian Da Ros | France | Marmandais star, biodynamic, the benchmark Abouriou |
| Cave du Marmandais | France | The local cooperative keeping the grape alive |
Can’t Find One? Drink This Instead
Honesty corner: no Abouriou is stocked at our partner shop, and it may never be. The closest match is a dark, rustic Shiraz Malbec blend: Malbec is a south-west French neighbour of Abouriou, and the Shiraz adds the peppery depth.
Temple Bruer Organic Preservative Free Riverland Shiraz Malbec 2023
Not Abouriou, but a rustic organic Shiraz Malbec is the nearest thing on an Australian shelf. If an Abouriou ever lands in stock, we will be as surprised as you.
- Dark, earthy and peppery, the same job Abouriou does with duck and sausages
- Malbec brings a south-west French accent
- Certified organic and preservative free
- Under twenty dollars
- Riper and more polished than a Marmandais country red
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the name Abouriou originate from?
It comes from the Gascon dialect word for “early”, because the grape ripens well ahead of its neighbours. It is also called Précoce Naugé after Numa Naugé, the farmer who propagated it in the 1840s.
Is Abouriou a red or white wine?
Red, and a very dark one. Its thick skins give it deep colour even in cool years, which is one reason growers kept it around.
What are some interesting facts about Abouriou?
It was found growing wild on a hillside in the 1840s. In California it was grown for decades under the name Early Burgundy and used in cheap blends. And DNA tests suggest it is a parent of Gamay du Bouze and a relative of Magdeleine Noire, the mother of Merlot and Malbec.
What wines is Abouriou similar to?
Malbec from nearby Cahors is the closest in colour and rustic weight. Gamay shares its early-ripening, juicy side, and Merlot its soft plum. Read our Malbec guide for the comparison.
Is Abouriou known by any other names?
Précoce Naugé, Gamay Beaujolais and Early Burgundy in California, and Gamay du Rhône, though it is not related to true Gamay at all.
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