Wine Tracker- Kir-Yianni • Petra

Kir-Yianni • Petra

2007
2005	89

Greece • Florina

www.kiryianni.gr

100%

Roditis

28.11.08

1

12.10

Dioinos Weinshop

89

- www.wineanorak.com

This cool-climate, unoaked white is made from Roditis, one of the most widely planted grapes from north Amyndeon, grown at 700 metres in sandy soils. The climate here is continental, and Kir-Yianni supplement their own vineyards with contacts with local growers, some of whom have nice high altitude vineyards – they are encouraging their growers to improve quality by pruning shorter and aiming at lower yields. This is a bright, appealing wine with a green herbal, lemony nose. The palate has lovely plump melony fruit with nice crispness and great balance. Really appealing.

Alcohol: 13%
Vinification: Hand picked grapes are chilled to 6C before selection on the sorting table. Prefermentation maceration a 12C for 8-16 hours followed by 12 days' fermentation at 15-17C with twice weekly lees stirring for 3 months and microoxygenation. Light filtering. Bottled March 2007.

Taste Profile: A fresh cold climate Roditis with citrus flavours; crisp and lively on the palate with a beautiful round finish. Perfect for easy summer drinking.

Vineyard: Founded by Yiannis Boutaris, the Kir-Yianni estate is at the northern end of the Naoussa appellation in western Macedonia, near the village of Yiannakohori. Naoussa has been one of the best known wine regions of Greece for centuries (bearing the same relation to Macedonia as Burgundy to France, in the phrase of a traveller from the 1830s) and its appellation grape, Xinomavro, is perhaps the most distinctive and noble of the Greek red varietals. The vineyard slopes nestle under the eastern flank of of Mount Vermio whose limestone mass rises to over 1,700 metres and is regularly under winter snow. The slopes run roughly transverse to the mountain creating a variety of exposures to sunlight. The terroir permutations are further elaborated by the complexity of different soil types. At Kir-Yianni the top soil varies between light clay and sand and lies over limestone. The vineyard elevation starts at around 200m and rises to about 300m. The planted area consists of about 30 hectares of which 18 have Xinomavro (about 6 hectares have Merlot and 4 Syrah). Kir-Yianni consider that their best Xinomavro grows on an almost sandy part of the lower end of the vineyard which looks south-east; a separate bottling of this from the 2003 vintage is being prepared. Kir-Yianni has a further 16 hectares planted by lakeland near Amyndeon on the other side of Mount Vermio. These lie at an elevation of about 700 metres and are planted mostly with white varietals. Xinomavro is also grown near Amyndeon and Kir-Yianni buys grapes from selected local growers for its distinctive rosé, Akakies.

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