Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional is an eminent, indigenous grape variety emanating from Portugal, primarily recognized as the backbone of the country's iconic Port wines. This grape offers a sublime combination of structure, compelling aromas, and rich, concentrated flavours, making it indispensable in creating high-quality wines.

Touriga Nacional is renowned for its small, thick-skinned berries that provide powerful tannins and colour, conferring concentration and longevity to the wines they produce. The varietal's vivid characteristics include a blend of dark fruit flavours such as black currant and blackberry, complemented by floral notes and herbaceous tones hinting at rosemary and violets. These nuanced flavours are frequently married with bold strokes of chocolate, given an influential oak treatment.

Cultivation of Touriga Nacional demands careful attention due to the grape's propensity to produce low yields. However, efforts dedicated to nurturing this grape are rewarded well, given its role in producing extraordinary Ports as well as increasingly lauded dry red wines. The grape is part of the varietal composition in the Douro and Dão regions and has also found its place among the vineyards of Alentejo.

Moreover, the hardy nature of Touriga Nacional has enabled it to ascend beyond its homeland, with areas such as South Africa, Australia, and California experiencing success with the variety. Wine enthusiasts often compare its full-bodied red wines to Cabernet Sauvignon, albeit with a more exotic, fragrant flirtation.

Touriga Nacional's inherent qualities – richness, powerful structure, and arresting depth of flavour – are being exploited today with superlative stand-alone varietal wines. Nonetheless, it thrives in its historic role of delivering substance and structure to the traditional Port blends, standing at the heart of Portugal's winemaking heritage. It is this versatility and indomitable character that has firmly ensconced Touriga Nacional as a grape revered by lovers of sumptuously layered and complex wines.

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