Overview

 

Hailing from Portugal, this red wine grape is considered to be one of the country’s finest. It’s often used in the production of Port, but it also very popular with winemakers who want bold, full-bodied reds. The Touriga Nacional is a low-yielding vine that generates thick-skinned berries. It requires careful management and pruning. The result is wine with a very deep color, high levels of tannins, and a high fruit concentration. Touriga Nacional wines also have a very distinctive floral aroma. These wines offer tremendous depth and are typically very affordable. When made well, they’re great for collecting, as well as, medium or long-term aging.

 

History

 

The origins of Touriga Nacional is thought to be the mountains of the Dao region, which lies south of the Douro Valley. At one time, this vine accounted for 90% of the vineyard areas throughout the region. However, phylloxera destroyed much of the plantings throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Restorations of the old vineyards in this region began in the 1990s. During this time, producers replanted the Touriga Nacional grape and began to produce both single variety and blended red wines. These blends included Jaen, Alfrocheiro, and Tinto Roriz grapes. Resulting wines had bold, dark-fruit flavors and complex structures with ruby coloring. Today, clones of Touriga Nacional have much higher yields. This, along with modern winemaking and viticulture techniques has led to the improved commercial success of Touriga Nacional.

 

Touriga Nacional Profile

 

Touriga Nacional red wines are notoriously dry, full-bodied, and with very bold tannins. Many compare them to the Cabernets from the Napa region and Barossa Shiraz. They contain rich flavors of blueberry, blackberry, plum, cocoa, and at times, mint. It has a very balanced texture which produces a palate-coating quality. Drinkers will notice the grainy tannins left on the roofs of their mouths. Dry Touriga Nacional ages very well in oak barrels and contains aromas of vanilla, nutmeg, and toasted marshmallow. When blended with other grapes such as Tempranillo and Touriga Franca, the result is a very balanced boldness with notes of red fruit and cinnamon.

 

 

Food Pairings

 

Due to its extremely bold nature, Touriga Nacional works well as a cocktail wine. However, there are certain foods that do a good job taming the bold tannins and releasing the wines lush qualities. Rich foods with high fat content will absorb the tannins and soften the flavor. Meat dishes that pair well with Touriga Nacional include barbeque beef, Cuban pork, Thai spiced beef, pork sausage spiced with fennel, beef tenderloin, and beef stroganoff. Vegetarians looking to pair this wine should use roasted cauliflower, potato, black beans, pinto beans, bamboo shoot, celeriac, turnips, cashews, apple, and sunchoke. When pairing with cheeses, go with mozzarella, Gruyere, Fontina, Swiss, brie, and cream cheese. Subtle spices and herbs are better, as bolder flavors could potentially offset the floral notes. Think fennel, black pepper, shallots, dill, parsley, bay leaf, nutmeg, chives, poppy seed, lemongrass, and coconut.

 

Meta: Touriga Nacional is the most widely regarded grape of Portugal and is used to produce Port along with dry, bold reds. Learn more about this high-quality vine.