Touriga Francesa (or Touriga Franca) is one of the major grape varieties used to produce port wine. Touriga Francesa is lighter and more perfumed than Touriga Nacional, adding finesse to the wine. Touriga Francesa has been described by Jancis Robinson as playing "Cabernet Franc to Touriga Nacional’s Cabernet Sauvignon".[1] It is a cross of two other indigenous Portuguese wine grape varieties Mourisco tinto and Touriga Nacional.[2] Touriga Francesa is quite similar to Touriga Nacional, needing harsh conditions to keep vigor down as it gets on the steep arid slopes of the Douro. It is usually trained low to the ground under one of the Royat systems. Yields are medium (1,5 kg/vine), not as bad as Touriga Nacional.

Touriga Francesa
Grape (Vitis)
SpeciesVitis vinifera
Also calledTouriga Franca (more)
OriginPortugal
Pedigree parent 1Mourisco tinto
Pedigree parent 2Touriga Nacional
Notable regionsDouro, Dão
Notable winesPort
Formation of seedsComplete
Sex of flowersHermaphrodite
VIVC number12593

Wine regions

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  • In Australia, there have been experimental plantings of the grape in Tasmania and other areas for port style wines.
  • In Portugal, Touriga Francesa is the fifth most planted grape, with 7,440 hectares. It plays an important part in port blends. Like Nacional, the variety is increasingly being used for unfortified red wine in the Douro and in the Dão.

Synonyms

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Albino de Souza, Esgana Cão, Rifete, Touriga Francesa, Touriga Franca, Touriga Francesca.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 216 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1-85732-999-6
  2. ^ a b "TOURIGA FRANCA". Vitis International Variety Catalogue VIVC. Julius Kühn-Institut - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (JKI), Institute for Grapevine Breeding - Geilweilerhof (ZR). July 11, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
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