Touriga Nacional is a red grape variety from the Vitis vinifera family, originally from Portugal.
Among the red grapes, it is the most noble variety in Portugal. It is the queen of Portuguese grapes and, due to its qualities for winemaking, is beginning to occupy an increasing space in European, Australian and Californian productions. In Portugal, it is planted from the Douro to the Alentejo, but it is in the Dão Demarcated Region that it reveals itself in all its fullness.
The bunch, small and elongated, has tiny, rounded berries, of uneven size, with a blue-black skin covered in strong bloom; the pulp is firm, not coloured, juicy and with a peculiar flavour.
It has an average ripening period and production can be somewhat heterogeneous. Normally, its volumes are somewhat smaller than those of the Aragonez variety and much smaller than the Jaen and Alfrocheiro varieties, these being the three varieties normally associated with the production of multi-varietal wines.
When used in a suitable percentage, wines with a good alcohol content are obtained, with intense aromas of high complexity, especially violet, full-bodied, with noble tannins and suitable for long ageing. It pairs particularly well with small quantities of Alfrocheiro to obtain an even finer bouquet and greater longevity.