Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional is widely regarded as Portugal's finest red grape — the aromatic backbone of Port and the leading variety of fine dry red wines from the Douro and Dao. It is a small-berried, thick-skinned vine that yields deeply coloured, intensely perfumed wines marked by violet and bergamot florals over blackberry, black plum and dark cherry, framed by firm tannin, fresh acidity and real structure. Once nearly lost to low yields, it was rescued by clonal selection and is now planted across Portugal and, in small quantities, in the New World. Powerful, floral and built to age, it is the grape that gives both great Port and serious Douro and Dao reds their lift and grip.