Dona Maria Amantis Reserva Branco 2025

Dona Maria Amantis Reserva Branco 2025 is a premium white from the Alentejo, made by renowned grower Júlio Bastos at Quinta de Dona Maria.

The Wine Advocate
RP 90

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Made from Viognier, the 2025 Amantis Reserva Branco shows a fruity profile marked by peach notes and the exotic character typical of the grape. Still very young, it shows a slight reductive note.

This wine was first made in 2006, as the producer had already worked with Viognier and decided to try fermenting it in 400-litre French oak barrels with neutral yeasts, followed by six months on the fine lees with bâtonnage.

It has 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.34 and 5.5 g/l of acidity, giving a balanced, delicate whole. It should benefit from some extra time in bottle. 9,500 bottles were produced. The wine was bottled in March 2026.

Dona Maria

Dona Maria is the project of Júlio Bastos, who ran an old estate called Quinta do Carmo between 1986 and 2000, which from 1992 became part of a joint venture with the Rothschild group.

Júlio Bastos started the Dona Maria project in 2003 and is the fourth generation of winemakers on this estate. Today he has 72 hectares of vineyards around Estremoz, in the northern Alentejo. These include five hectares of vines over 70 years old, including Alicante Bouschet from the same clone as the first vineyard of this grape planted in Portugal, plus five hectares planted in 2017.

The winery consists of three old buildings from the 19th century, restored in 2003. One of them houses 19th-century marble lagares, where the grapes are traditionally foot-trodden.

There are also 18 cement tanks used for ageing the reds. The newest building has fermentation vats for whites, reds and rosés, as well as a bottling and labelling line.

Average production is around 500,000 bottles a year. The style is a neoclassical take on the Alentejo, combining Portuguese and French grapes.

Published: 11 June 2026

Here are the best pairing suggestions:

Structured and Roasted Fish

Oven-baked bacalhau: Works very well with olive oil, garlic and smashed potatoes.

Cooked shellfish: Excellent with stuffed brown crab, spiny lobster or lobster.

Rice and pasta: Pairs with creamy seafood rice or pasta with clams and squid.

White Meat and Poultry

Roast poultry: Great with herb-roasted chicken, duck or turkey.

Pork: Light pork dishes, such as roast loin with prunes or grilled black pork.

International Cuisine and Cheese

Asian food: Mildly spiced curries or sushi with richer pieces (such as salmon and cream cheese).

Semi-cured cheeses: Goes well with medium-intensity sheep's or goat's cheeses (such as Queijo de Évora or Nisa).