Churchills Port - Winery Overview

As the one of most widely planted red grapes in Portugal— almost 18,000 acres in 2010, according Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson—Touriga Nacional-based wines from the Douro are, she writes, “deeply colored, concentrated, tannic, rich in dark fruit and is distinguished…by their fragrance…(with) aromas of bergamot, rosemary…and violets.” As this varietal has long flourished in the Douro—it is of course the grape par excellence of Port—the Touriga Nacional has gained renown among winemakers and wine lovers around the world, with plantings from Priorat in Spain to California to New Zealand.

Churchill’s Estates Douro table wines are produced from select vineyards owned and farmed exclusively by Churchill Port Company. These dry wines have turned heads since their first releases in 2005. Today the range extends beyond a dry Douro Estate red to include a single varietal, Touriga Nacional, and a single estate from the famed and celebrated Quinta da Gricha.

Churchill’s Douro Estate red is a blend of 40% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca and 30% Tinta Roriz, the latter is known as Tempranillo in Spain. Intense in color with violet hues on the rim, the wine’s nose offers aromas of wild berries. On the palate it possesses an excellent backbone and acidity, showing purity of fruit combined with elegance and a long structured finish. This red goes well red meat and pasta dishes.

The Estate single varietal, Touriga Nacional, is produced from grapes grown on the Company’s Douro Estate Quinta de Gricha. Deep violet in color, on the nose, this wine exudes exuberant aromas of gum cistus and wild basil with hints of orange blossom. On the palate it is intense and complex, showing layers of wild blueberries combined with fresh resinous and spicy notes ending in a long juicy finish. 100% of this wine is aged for 12 months in 2nd and 3rd year French oak casks. It is recommended this wine should be decanted before serving.