Variety
RedTouriga Nacional
Also known as: Touriga
Portugal's Port queen – inky, violet-scented, tannic; in Western Australia for powerful reds and Port styles.
Portrait
Touriga Nacional comes from Portugal and is considered by many its finest red grape; its core areas are the Douro valley and the Dão. Historically it is part of Port blends, and today it is increasingly used for dry reds from Portugal's top sites. Outside Portugal it grows in California and Australia, among others; in Western Australia it is planted on a small scale, for powerful reds and Port styles.
The vine is vigorous and demands strict canopy management. It bears very small bunches of blue-black berries and has among the lowest yields of any commercial variety; the high ratio of skin to pulp explains the concentrated extract. The wines are inky, tannic and structured, with violet, blackberry, bergamot and pepper. In Port it supplies structure and colour; Jancis Robinson compared its partnership with Touriga Franca to that of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Touriga Nacional pairs with lamb, braised roasts and mature hard cheese; the Port style accompanies dark chocolate.
Taste profile
Six axes — acidity, sweetness, body, tannin, aroma intensity and depth — on a 0–5 scale, based on typical style. Real wines vary by region and producer.
Typical aromas — Touriga Nacional
These 4 aromas typically define Touriga Nacional. Actual taste experience varies by region and style.
Violet
Blackberry
Bergamot
Pepper
Touriga Nacional aroma families
These aroma categories are characteristic of Touriga Nacional. Other varieties have different focuses.
Fruit aromas are the most common and come directly from the grape, ranging from citrus through stone fruit to black berries.
Floral aromas are especially marked in aromatic varieties like Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
Spicy aromas often emerge from oak aging (vanilla, clove) or with maturity (black pepper).
Key regions
Touriga Nacional is grown in the following regions of our atlas. Click to see wineries.
Wineries with Touriga Nacional
1 curated profiles in our atlas grow Touriga Nacional.
1 wineries