Touriga Nacional 2015
Tasting Notes
Following on from our first Touriga (the 2014), this wine is a lovely middle-weight wine with lifted red fruit and bergamot aromatics which jump out of the glass at you. It has fine even tannins, with red fruits, and hints on black fruits on the palate. The wine did not spend any time in oak at all, so all of the tannin is skin derived. Serve with Portuguese chicken and cucumber, fennel and avocado salad as suggested by The Australia’s Weekend Magazine’s chef, David Herbert. Wine man Max Allen recommended this dish be matched with our 2014 Touriga, but I think the 2015 Touriga will do the job just as well.
Vintage
We had a very early start to vintage in 2015, with generally mild conditions throughout. We had only a handful of hot days, which allowed natural acids to develop nicely. This was a very short, sharp vintage, with most winemakers finishing their vintage well before Easter. Yields were down, somewhere between 10 and 30% depending on variety. Joch’s take on the whole affair? ‘Fast, early and pretty’.
Winemaking
We have been growing this Portuguese variety for a number of years now. It was grafted onto some 25 year old Shiraz vines. Traditionally the variety is used to make vintage fortified Ports, although has been used more and more to make mid-weight dry red wines over there. We crushed the grapes and fermented them in small open fermenters. We didn’t use any oak in the making of this wine (as opposed to the inaugural 2014 vintage) as we want to capture and show off the lovely florals which are characteristic of the variety. We bottled the Touriga relatively early, too.
Reviews
Tony Love in TheSourceSA.com Wednesday 8th June 2016
There's a bit of a buzz about about Portugal's famed touriga variety, grown here originally for fortifieds and now looking good in dry table varietals and blends. Get into this certified organic, no-oak version that's friendly and welcoming; fleshy and floral with a moreish drinkability that encourages you to sip and dwell in its soft, sweet core of cherry fruit crush. Easygoing and very splashable.
**** (four stars!!)
Huone Hooke huonhooke.com 16th March 2016
Deep, bright red/purple hue and an attractive raspberry, blueberry fruit-driven and gently floral, peppery aroma. It's full of charm. The palate is elegant and medium to full-bodied, smoothly-textured and harmonious in its acidity, tannin, oak and fruit. A lovely fruit-driven, effortless young wine.
91 points
The Wine Front Feb 2016 Gary Walsh
I usually say something along the line of Touriga being a grape to watch for South Australian regions. It's a grape of the future. This is grown using organic methods.
This is spicy and peppery, kind of exotic too, with floral top notes and bramble fruit. Medium-bodied, juicy but firm on tannin, it has a succulence to temper its fine mesh of tannin and earthy dark chocolate flavours. It's perky and really good to drink. All blue fruit, spice and intrigue on the finish. Super value
92 points
Other Vintages
Technical Details
Vineyards: Denton's
Picking Date: 21st February 2015
Alc/Vol: 13.5%
Bottling Date: 17th November 2015