Grapes Touriga Nacional
Grape guide · red
Touriga Nacional
Portugal’s best-known red grape: deep in colour, floral in scent and highly structured. The backbone of Port and of the finest dry red Douro wines.
If one grape stands for Portugal, it is Touriga Nacional. It comes from the north of the country — the Dão and the Douro — and the best Port and the best-known Portuguese dry reds lean on it.
The berries are small with thick skins, giving deep colour, firm tannin and concentrated flavour. What makes it recognisable is the scent: dark fruit, often with something floral that wine writers compare to violets.
At a glance
- Colour
- Red
- Origin
- Northern Portugal: Dão and Douro
- Grown today
- Throughout Portugal, from the Douro to the Alentejo
- Taste
- Dark fruit (blackberry, blackcurrant), floral, often a spicy touch
- Structure
- Deep colour, firm tannin, good acidity
- Used for
- Port, dry red, also rosé
What it tastes like
Young Touriga Nacional is fragrant and full: blackberry, blackcurrant and plum with something floral above. Firm on the palate, with tannin that gives structure without being harsh in a good wine. Oak adds spicy, smoky notes.
It is often blended. Tinta Roriz adds body, Touriga Franca extra perfume and finesse. In a rosé it keeps the colour pale while bringing fruit and some structure.
What to eat with it
Its tannin and concentration suit protein and fat: roast lamb, beef, stews and aged cheese. The fuller the wine, the richer the dish can be.
Read on
Our wines with Touriga Nacional
Monte dos Perdigões Rosé
An Alentejo rosé that ignores the Alentejo rulebook.
From an estate once home to a writer and a composer. Pale salmon, cherry and blackberry on the nose; dry and elegant on the palate. For sushi, salads or an evening that could go anywhere.
Availability to be confirmed
Eirados Reserva 2023
Two thousand years of wine country. And a little Varna in it.
From the Eirados Varna vineyard: Varna's first own red label, made by Alzira Castro-de Carvalho. Floral aromas, full ripe fruit and silky tannins. A glass worth lingering over.
Availability to be confirmed
Frequently asked questions
What does Touriga Nacional taste like?
Full and fragrant: dark fruit such as blackberry and blackcurrant, with a floral note often compared to violets. Firm tannin and good acidity. Spicy after oak ageing.
Where does Touriga Nacional come from?
Northern Portugal, from the Dão and the Douro. It is now planted throughout Portugal and, in small amounts, elsewhere.
Is Port made from Touriga Nacional?
Often, together with other Douro grapes such as Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. Touriga Nacional gives Port colour, structure and perfume.