Kir-Yianni Ramnista Naoussa Xinomavro 2021
£22.45
The wine
Ramnista is Kir-Yianni's flagship Naoussa Xinomavro, a structured, age-worthy red often compared to fine Nebbiolo.
Garnet red. The nose is intense, showing cherry, sour cherry and plum with a herbaceous lift of tomato leaf. Dry and balanced, with vibrant acidity, velvety tannins and layers of ripe fruit, spice and a long finish.
Made for roast lamb, game and mature cheeses. Decant and serve at cool room temperature.
The producer
Kir-Yianni
View all Kir-Yianni winesKir-Yianni is one of Greece's benchmark estates, founded in 1997 by the visionary Yiannis Boutaris after he left the historic family firm. A lifelong champion of indigenous varieties, he did more than almost anyone to reveal the potential of Xinomavro. Today the estate is led by his son, fifth generation winemaker Stellios Boutaris.
The estate farms two regions on the slopes of Mount Vermio. In Naoussa, Xinomavro first planted in 1970 grows across 42 individually managed parcels of varied soils and aspects. In Amyndeon, Greece's coolest wine region, Kir-Yianni pioneered plantings on poor, sandy soils at 700 metres. Sustainability runs deep, and in 2024 it became the first Greek winery to measure its carbon footprint.
Xinomavro is the estate's signature, and the range reveals the grape's remarkable versatility. The approachable Cuvée Villages and the structured, age worthy Ramnista express Naoussa, while a crisp rosé and a traditional method sparkling show its fresher side. From Amyndeon come vibrant, mineral Assyrtiko in the fresh The North and the richer, barrel aged Tarsanas.
Precise, characterful and deeply expressive of place, Kir-Yianni's wines stand among the finest in Greece. They combine native tradition with modern rigour and a keen environmental conscience. This is Greek wine at its most compelling.
