Touriga Nacional

VIVC records Touriga Nacional under the prime name Touriga Nacional, variety number 12594, with Portugal as its country or region of origin; with a single source behind it, that origin is best read as likely rather than settled. Its parents are unknown: both parent fields in its VIVC passport are blank, and no full pedigree is recorded. Touriga Nacional does have offspring. Drawing on VIVC pedigree data, two are recorded: Tinta Barroca and Touriga Franca, and Marufo is the other parent of each.

• VIVC prime name: Touriga Nacional; VIVC variety number 12594; country or region of origin: Portugal (single source)
• Parents: none recorded (parentage unknown)
• Recorded offspring, derived from VIVC pedigree data: Tinta Barroca and Touriga Franca, each with Marufo as the other parent

The Dão and Douro regions both claim to be the origin of Touriga Nacional. Northern in origin, it has spread right across Portugal. It is best known for its role in the Douro Valley's Port blends, and for unfortified reds, varietal Touriga Nacional wines have increasingly come to the fore in recent decades.

• Origin claimed by both the Dão and the Douro
• Northern in origin; now spread right across Portugal
• Best known for its role in the Douro Valley's Port blends

In Jancis Robinson's words, Touriga Nacional is "the most famous port variety grown also in the Dão region". Its heartlands are the Douro and the Dão, and from the north it has spread right across Portugal, including south to the Alentejo. It stands up relatively well to heat. Beyond Portugal, it is now widely made as a varietal table wine in Spain, California, South Africa and Australia.

• Douro Valley: best known for its role in the region's Port blends
• Dão: one of its two heartlands, and one of the two regions that claim to be its origin
• Alentejo: among the regions it has spread to in the south of Portugal
• Outside Portugal: widely made as a varietal table wine in Spain, California, South Africa and Australia

Touriga Nacional makes darkly coloured, rich, tannic and complex wines, most commonly around a concentrated kernel of black fruits. Its flavours are intense, at the same time floral and fruity, with ripe blackcurrant and complex hints of herbs and liquorice, and its floral note is distinctive in youth. Its thick-skinned berries are rich in anthocyanins, which give the wines intense, deep colour. Wines made from it, or blended with it, are aromatically expressive, well balanced and have excellent ageing capacity.

• Primary aromas: floral notes with ripe blackcurrant, black fruits, herbs and liquorice
• Palate: rich and tannic, with excellent structure
• Colour: intense and deep, from thick skins rich in anthocyanins
• Age potential: excellent ageing capacity

For dry table wines, Quinta do Vallado ferments its Touriga Nacional in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and ages it for 16 months in 225-litre French oak barrels. Quinta do Crasto ages its Touriga Nacional for 18 months in French oak barrels with light toast levels, developed to let the freshness and characteristic aromas of Touriga Nacional stand out. In Port, Touriga Nacional is one of the five central varieties, and it gives wines depth, volume and longevity. In unfortified reds, blending with Touriga Franca to bring balance has also been common.

• Dry wine fermentation: temperature-controlled stainless steel vats at Quinta do Vallado
• Oak ageing: 16 months in 225-litre French oak at Quinta do Vallado; 18 months in lightly toasted French oak at Quinta do Crasto
• Port blending: one of the five central Port varieties, giving wines depth, volume and longevity
• Table-wine blending: commonly blended with Touriga Franca to bring balance

Quinta do Crasto makes a premium Touriga Nacional from 100% Touriga Nacional, bottled only in years that reach a high level of quality; it was produced only in 2001, 2003 to 2006, 2009 to 2012 and 2015 to 2020. Quinta do Vallado makes a 100% Touriga Nacional, whose aroma the estate describes as very concentrated, with balsamic oak notes, red fruit and violet aromas.

• Quinta do Crasto Touriga Nacional: 100% Touriga Nacional, bottled only in years of high quality; aged 18 months in French oak
• Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional: 100% Touriga Nacional, aged 16 months in 225-litre French oak barrels

The Wines of Portugal pairing list for Touriga Nacional includes red meat, grilled dishes, charcuterie and hard cheese.

• Red meat
• Grilled dishes
• Charcuterie
• Hard cheese

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=12594 ; https://winesofportugal.com/en/portuguese-wines/grape-varieties/touriga-nacional/ ; https://www.ivdp.pt/pt/vinha/castas/ ; https://www.quintadocrasto.pt/quinta-crasto-touriga-nacional/?lang=en ; https://www.quintadovallado.com/en/wines/wine/Touriga-Nacional/71/ ; https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2023/july/16/the-indigenous-varieties-of-portugal Reference sources: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/touriga-nacional ; https://www.decanter.com/learn/touriga-nacional-red-52072/ ; https://winefolly.com/grapes/touriga-nacional/ Last verified 2026-10-17