Comparison
Montepulciano vs Touriga Nacional
How Montepulciano and Touriga Nacional differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
The main differences: Touriga Nacional has more floral character; Touriga Nacional has more sweetness; Touriga Nacional has more tannin.
Choose
Montepulciano
Choose Montepulciano if you prefer its flavour profile — black plum, blackberry, dried herbs.
Choose
Touriga Nacional
Choose Touriga Nacional if you want something more floral, sweeter, more tannic and structured.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Floral character
Clear differenceBlossom, rose, violet, elderflower, acacia and related aromatic notes.
Touriga Nacional is more floral: high against low.
Sweetness
Clear differencePerceived sugar in the finished wine, driven mainly by residual sugar but modified by acidity, alcohol and fruit ripeness.
Touriga Nacional is sweeter: medium against low.
Tannin
Clear differencePhenolic compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak. The principal structural axis of red wine.
Touriga Nacional is more tannic and structured: high against medium.
Spice
Clear differencePepper, clove, cinnamon and related spice notes, whether from the grape (as with rotundone in Syrah) or from oak.
Touriga Nacional is spicier: medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Touriga Nacional is fresher and more acidic: medium-plus against medium.
Body
Clear differenceThe overall weight and viscosity of the wine in the mouth — a composite of alcohol, sugar, extract and glycerol.
Touriga Nacional is fuller and richer: high against medium-plus.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Aromatic intensity: Similar — both medium.
- Savoury character: Similar — both medium.
- Herbal / green character: Similar — both low.
- Earthy character: Similar — both low.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Montepulciano | Touriga Nacional |
|---|---|---|
| Floral character | low (1/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Tannin | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Body | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Oak influence | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Texture | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Serve at | 15–17°C | 16–18°C |
| Typical flavours | black plum, blackberry, dried herbs, liquorice, cocoa | violet, bergamot, blackberry, blueberry, rockrose |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Grape
Montepulciano
An Adriatic Italian variety producing soft, deeply coloured, affordable reds — and nothing to do with the Tuscan town of the same name.
Grape
Touriga Nacional
Portugal’s most prized red variety: intensely floral, deeply coloured and firmly structured.
Comparison
Touriga Nacional vs Syrah
The Douro’s flagship red against the most widely understood dark, structured variety.