The character

Touriga Franca (formerly called Touriga Francesa) is the most widely planted red grape in the Douro Valley and a key partner to Touriga Nacional in both Port and dry Douro reds. It is higher-yielding than Touriga Nacional, softer in tannin, with a more elegant aromatic profile of red and black berry, rose petal, and herb. In a blend, it adds aromatic lift and elegance to Touriga Nacional’s structure.

Where it grows best

Douro Valley, Portugal: where it accounts for roughly 20-25% of all red plantings. Smaller amounts in Dão and elsewhere in Portugal. Almost no commercial plantings outside Portugal.

How it tastes

Red and black raspberry, blueberry, violet, rose petal, dried herbs, sometimes a graphite-and-pencil-lead note. Tannin is moderate and fine-grained; acid is bright; alcohol typically 13-14% in dry wines. The wines are immediately approachable in a way Touriga Nacional often isn’t — Touriga Franca is the variety in a Douro red that makes you want to pour another glass right away.

How it ages

As a varietal dry wine, Touriga Franca ages fifteen to twenty years. As a partner in Vintage Port and Port-house dry reds, it contributes to wines that age fifty-plus. Aged Touriga Franca develops dried flower, dried fig, and a savory tobacco complexity.

What to pair with

Roast pork. Lamb. Game birds. Hard cheeses. Portuguese cuisine: bacalhau, cozido à portuguesa, leitão (roast suckling pig).