Touriga Nacional
too-REE-gah nah-syoo-NAHL · Vitis vinifera ‘Touriga Nacional’
Portugal’s flagship red — the spine of Port, and increasingly of dry Douro reds. Small berries, thick skins, the scent of violets, and structure that was forged in one of the hottest, driest wine regions on earth.
/ What it tastes like /
Blackberry and blueberry, with a striking floral lift — violets, sometimes a note like bergamot or mint behind the fruit. It is deeply colored and built on firm tannin, the kind of red that has the structure to age. In Portugal it goes into Port; made dry, as it is in Texas, it comes across darker and more savory, a wine for the table.
/ Why it works in Texas /
Its home is the Douro, one of the hottest and driest wine regions there is, so heat is not a problem to manage — it is the condition the grape was made for. Small berries and thick skins resist sunburn and hold color and structure through a long Texas season. It is part of the broader case that Iberian grapes belong here, and it gives Texas a serious, age-worthy red.
/ What to eat with it /
A big red wants big food: grilled lamb, a peppered steak, brisket off the smoker, a braise that has been going all afternoon. The tannin handles fat and char, and hard aged cheeses hold their own against it. The Port versions, back in Portugal, are the classic match for dark chocolate.
/ From our visits /