Australian Bastardo wine regional and flavour profile
Bastardo tastes and aromas
Flavours redolent of dark red berries and other forest fruits
Bastardo mouthfeel
High sugar levels when ripe, with firm tannins and high alcohol
Facts about Bastardo
- It is grown in small amounts in many parts of Western Europe; most famously it is used in Portuguese port wine
- In Portugal the varieties most famous incarnation is the Madeira Bastardo wine made on the volcanic archipelago region of Madeira. However, this name is seen on fewer and fewer bottles of Madeira wine each year, not because of the unfortunate implications of the name, but because the bastard variety is nearly extinct on the island.
- Has been called both Gros Cabernet and Touriga in Australia
Australian regions that produce Bastardo
Small amounts are grown in Australia, and Bastardo is mainly grown in Portugal, France and North Western Spain.
On the Portuguese mainland Bastardo is grown in the Douro region, as well as the Dao and Bairrada regions slightly further south. It is one of the many varieties permitted in the production of Port, although the quality of its grapes is insufficient to earn it a place among the five ‘recommended’ Port grape varieties.
In France the region of Jura can call Bastardo its own (however they refer to the variety as Trousseau). The variety is one of only two indigenous grapes in the area, the other being Poulsard. The variety has also been recorded under the names Cabernet Gros and Malvoisie Noire in the South-West region of France.
Bastardo wine and food pairings
The wine is best served with red meats such as lamb, beef, oxtail, game and Venison, and other rich food.