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Dona Maria Arinto 2021

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TECH SHEET

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Vintage
2021
Region
Alentejo
Type
White
Grapes
Arinto100%
Alcohol
13.5% vol.
Bottle
750 ml

Wine profile

White

Acidity
Body
Sweetness
Alcohol13.5% vol

Tap or hover a scale

Wine profile · White

Acidity

Level 5 of 5 — Crisp and racy – like freshly squeezed lemon

Above typical (4.1) · Typical: average of 434 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Acidity is the wine's freshness: it gives energy, makes your mouth water and helps the wine age. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it feels sharp.

Where you feel it

On the sides of your tongue, and in how much your mouth waters after you swallow. The more you salivate, the higher the acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

Labs measure total acidity (grams of tartaric acid per litre; most wines sit between 4.5 and 8 g/L) and pH (usually 3.0 to 3.8; the lower, the more acidic). Our scale turns that into how it feels in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: soft, little freshness
  2. 2Medium−: gentle
  3. 3Medium: fresh and balanced
  4. 4Medium+: lively, mouth-watering
  5. 5High: crisp, racy This wine

In practice, for this wine

Ideal with oysters, shellfish, sushi and fried food; it stands up to sharp, salty dishes. Serve cold, great as an aperitif.

Wine profile · White

Body

Level 3 of 5 — Medium and rounded – like whole milk

In line with typical (3.1) · Typical: average of 436 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Body is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth. It comes mainly from alcohol, extract (everything dissolved apart from water), glycerol and, in sweet wines, sugar.

Where you feel it

Across the whole tongue: how much the wine fills your mouth. Think skimmed milk, whole milk and cream.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the typical profile of the grapes (Wine Folly / WSET), as we have no specific data. Estimate

There is no single number for body. Labs measure dry extract (many wines are between 18 and 30 g/L) and alcohol, which WSET says has the biggest effect on body. Our scale rates the weight in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Light: fluid and delicate
  2. 2Medium−: light-ish
  3. 3Medium: rounded This wine
  4. 4Medium+: broad
  5. 5Full: dense and rich

In practice, for this wine

The most versatile middle ground: from salt cod to white meat and pasta.

Wine profile · White

Sweetness

Level 1 of 5 — Dry – no sugar you can taste, just fruit

In line with typical (1.1) · Typical: average of 453 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Sweetness comes from the grape's natural sugar that did not turn into alcohol (residual sugar). A dry wine has almost none; a Port or a late-harvest wine has a lot.

Where you feel it

On the tip of your tongue, right from the first sip, and as a richer, oilier feel in the mouth. Acidity can mask it.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the sweetness category recorded on the product sheet (dry, off-dry…).

It is measured in grams of residual sugar per litre. General EU bands: dry up to about 4 g/L, off-dry up to 12, medium-sweet up to 45, sweet above that. On our scale: under 4 g/L = 1, up to 12 = 2, up to 45 = 3, up to 100 = 4, more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Dry: no noticeable sugar This wine
  2. 2Off-dry: a touch of sweetness
  3. 3Medium-sweet: clearly sweet
  4. 4Sweet: rich and fruity
  5. 5Very sweet: luscious

In practice, for this wine

Goes with the whole meal, from savoury to mildly spicy. Avoid sweet desserts: they make it taste bitter.

Wine profile · White

Alcohol 13.5% vol

Level 4 of 5 — Generous – warms the throat

Above typical (3.1) · Typical: average of 453 whites at Vinogrande

What it is

Alcohol is made when yeast ferments the grape's sugar. It brings warmth, adds to the body and carries the aromas.

Where you feel it

As warmth in your throat and chest when you swallow, and a slight burn on the nose when it is high.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol stated on the label — On the label: 13.5% vol.

It is the one axis that is always measured: it comes from the % vol on the label. Still and sparkling wines: under 11% = 1, up to 12.4% = 2, up to 13.4% = 3, up to 14.4% = 4, 14.5% or more = 5. Fortified wines (Port, Madeira…) have their own scale: under 16.5% = 2, up to 18.4% = 3, up to 19.9% = 4, 20% or more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: under 11% vol
  2. 2Medium−: 11–12.4% vol
  3. 3Medium: 12.5–13.4% vol
  4. 4Medium+: 13.5–14.4% vol This wine
  5. 5High: 14.5% vol or more

In practice, for this wine

Avoid very spicy food, which boosts the heat. Serve slightly below room temperature.

Critics & awards

Serve & enjoy

Temperature 8–10 °CFridge 3 h · or ice bucket with water 20 min
GlassWhite-wine glass

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Description

Dona Maria Arinto 2021 is a single-varietal white made by Júlio Bastos at the emblematic Quinta do Carmo in Estremoz, Alentejo. 

The Wine AdvocateRP 91

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The serious, expressive, juicy 2021 Arinto Reserva has notes of peach and other stone fruit, quince and pollen. On the palate it's round and enveloping, with a rich, juicy texture. It has 13.5% alcohol and very good freshness and acidity, reflecting a cooler year.

It was made from grapes from roughly 20-year-old dry-farmed vines at 400 metres on limestone soils. It fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts, then finished fermentation and aged in 400-litre barrels for six months, with bâtonnage.

3,500 bottles were produced. The wine was bottled in January 2023.

Dona Maria is the project of Júlio Bastos, who took over an old estate that, from 1986 to 2000, was known as Quinta do Carmo. Bastos started the project in 2003 and now has 72 hectares of vines in the Estremoz area, five of them over 70 years old.

The winery comprises three old 19th-century buildings, restored in 2003. One of them keeps 19th-century marble lagares. There are 18 cement vats where the reds age. The newest building has fermentation vats for whites, reds and rosés, as well as a bottling and labelling line.

Average production is about half a million bottles a year. The style of the wines is described as neoclassical Alentejo.

Published: 15 May 2025

What to serve with this wine

Dishes calculated from this wine’s profile, grapes and region.