Touriga Nacional is considered to be Portugal’s finest grape.  It has been grown in Portugal’s Douro for hundreds of years although didn’t become officially recognized until 1756.  Port’s get their name from how the grapes are grown inland in the Corgo in pre-Cambrian schist and granite soils and then put on barges and sent downstream to Porto where they can be aged in humid regions to mature. Touriga Nacional is extremely vigorous and is typically trained on a guyot system (where in it is cane pruned with only one cordon).  It needs severe pruning for quality grapes and control of the leaves to promote pollination.  Touriga Nacional are small black grapes with little pulp that are very aromatic with the sweet scent of lavender and high tannin and structure.