Touriga Nacional: Portugal's Noble Grape (and It's Not Just for Port)

Most people who've heard of Touriga Nacional know it as a Port grape — and it is the noblest grape in the Port blend. But the real discovery is what's happened over the last few decades: winemakers started making dry red wine from it, and the results are spectacular. If your idea of "serious Portuguese red" stops at Port, this is the grape that changes your mind.

What it tastes like

Touriga Nacional has thick skins, which give wines of deep color and real structure: full-bodied, firm but polished tannins, dark fruit (blackberry, black cherry, plum), and — the hallmark — a beautiful floral lift of violets. That perfume is what separates it from other big reds; it keeps a powerful wine feeling elegant rather than heavy. It also ages wonderfully.

Two regions, two personalities

• Douro — the same dramatic, terraced valley that makes Port. Here Touriga Nacional dry reds are structured and powerful, with fine-grained tannins. Big, age-worthy wines.
• Dão — higher, granite country. Here it's a touch fresher and more elegant, with refined tannins and that violet aromatic turned up. If you want the perfumed side of the grape, start in Dão.

Why it belongs here

Touriga Nacional is "noble" by reputation but still wildly underpriced next to the famous structured reds it can stand beside. A serious Douro or Dão red made from it delivers Cabernet-level structure and a fragrance Cabernet can't match — often for half the money. That's the Wine Underdogs sweet spot: a grape with a great pedigree that the mainstream market still hasn't fully caught up to.

Bottles to look for

For the Dão, look for Quinta dos Roques, Casa de Santar, or anything from the Dão co-op's better bottlings. For the Douro, the table wines from Port houses are a smart shortcut — Niepoort, Quinta do Vale Meão, Quinta do Crasto, and Quinta Vale Dona Maria all make excellent dry Touriga-driven reds. Decant the bigger bottles; pair with roast lamb or anything off the grill.

Start with Port if you like, but don't stop there — the dry side of Touriga Nacional is where Portugal quietly makes some of the best-value great red wine on earth. A scored review will land here once I've worked through a few.

— Chris Berry