Touriga Naçional

APPEARANCE

ON THE VINE: it is vigorous and robust but produces little fruit. What it lacks in quantity it makes up in the concentration of fruit and tannin the small, densely packed berries provide. The bunch is very small and conical in shape.

 

IN THE GLASS: the wines can be very dark – a purplish black.

SMELL

Powerful aroma – like a highly perfumed fruit syrup. Strong plum and chocolate aromas.

TASTE

Dark fruit such as plums and prunes with some spice and earthiness. Powerful, with high extract and tannin in its youth.

ORIGIN

Portugal, where it is one of the most important port varieties, though used increasingly for dry reds such as the concentrated versions from the Douro valley and Dão region, where Touriga reds have been made from at least the mid 19th century.

IN SOUTH AFRICA

Small yields tempered its popularity for all but port. Even in port, first tested locally in the '40s and '50s, it was only at the start of the 1990s that it emerged in the finer examples, with Overgaauw, Axe Hill, Boplaas and De Krans paving the way. Allesverloren, Boplaas, Calitzdorp Wine Cellar and De Krans are currently the only SA producers of single varietal Touriga Naçional table wines, though other cellars use it in their blends.

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

Besides Portugal and South Africa, there are limited plantings in Australia.

AGEING POTENTIAL

Although the local versions are made in a softer, fruitier style, they should keep up to 10 years in bottle.

MATCHING WITH FOOD

Meat dishes such as Sunday roast or the less formal braai.

SERVING TEMPERATURE

Between 16° and 18° C.