Kir-Yianni, `Cuvée Villages` Naoussa Xinomavro

Kir-Yianni was founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris after he left the historic family business - Boutari Wines. A visionary winemaker, Yiannis played a key role in the revival of Greek wine. The estate championed indigenous varieties long before they gained international acclaim and was instrumental in defining the potential of the native red Xinomavro.

Today, Kir-Yianni is led by Yiannis’ son, fifth-generation winemaker Stellios Boutaris, who has strengthened Kir-Yianni’s modern reputation through a clear focus on sustainability, site-specific winemaking and continuous research and development. In recent years, the estate has deepened their environmental commitment by implementing integrated pest management, no-tillage farming, composting of pomace, planting native cover crops between vine rows, and using drip irrigation only when necessary. In 2024, Kir-Yianni became the first Greek winery to measure its carbon footprint at both the Naoussa and Amyndeon wineries and joined the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) as a Silver Member, underscoring their pledge to continuous environmental improvement.

Kir-Yianni cultivate vineyards in two regions on the slopes of the Vermio Mountain range: Naoussa and Amyndeon.

Yiannis Boutaris first planted 40 hectares of Xinomavro in 1970, in the Naoussa village of Yiannakohori, at a time when many growers were uprooting vines in favour of more profitable peach orchards. His investment in Naoussa viticulture has paid dividends, and today, Kir-Yianni farms 48 hectares of Xinomavro (50%), Merlot (20%), Syrah (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) in the region, 10 hectares of which are certified organic. These hillside vineyards feature a diverse range of aspects, soil types, and elevations reaching up to 280 metres above sea level. Kir-Yianni has mapped them into 42 individual blocks, with each parcel cultivated and vinified separately to achieve maximum precision and expression.

Amyndeon is Greece’s coolest vine-growing region. Kir-Yianni were among the first to explore the region’s poor, sandy soils, which favour fresh, structured Assyrtiko and lifted, elegant expressions of Xinomavro. They now own 54 hectares of vineyards in Amyndeon, planted at 700 metres above sea level and neighbouring a complex of NATURA 2000 protected lakes and mountains. In addition, Kir-Yianni collaborate with over 110 local growers across over 100 hectares of prime vineyard area in the region. Together, they identify and preserve old, ungrafted, pre-phylloxera Xinomavro vines across multiple villages in Amyndeon, a project known as “Kali Riza”, or “good root” in Greek.

Both Naoussa and Amyndeon are key appellations for Xinomavro, the estate’s signature grape, whose remarkable versatility is evidenced across the Kir-Yianni portfolio. The ‘Cuvée Villages’ Naoussa Xinomavro is an approachable, fruit-forward wine that blends younger estate parcels with select grower fruit. Powerful yet refined, it won Gold at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards. The ‘Ramnista’ Naoussa Xinomavro is structured and ageworthy, sourced from estate parcels planted in 1970 in what is historically regarded as the cradle of high-quality Xinomavro. Kir-Yianni highlights Xinomavro’s fresher side in their bright, crisp Rosé, as well as the finely textured traditional-method Xinomavro Sparkling Brut, both from Amyndeon. These wines illustrate the variety’s dynamism and regional character.

Assyrtiko also thrives in the estate’s high-elevation Amyndeon vineyards, producing vibrant, mineral-rich wines that offer a distinctive and exceptional-value alternative to Santorini’s volcanic style. ‘The North’, sourced from younger vines and vinified in stainless steel, offers a fresh, approachable introduction to high elevation Assyrtiko. The ‘Tarsanas’ is made from the organically farmed Block #10 in the ‘Samaropetra’ vineyard, one of Amyndeon’s earliest Assyrtiko plantings (2004). It spends six months in 225-litre French oak barrels (50% new) and offers a richer, layered profile, with “a level of firmness and structure that puts it into a category of its own,” as noted by Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate.