Kir-Yianni Le Nord Assyrtiko 2023 (Greece) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is an excellent, vegan-friendly Assyrtiko from Greece that officially arrives at the LCBO this weekend as The $18 Solution in the April 27th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Kir-Yianni, a winery that was founded in 1997 by Yiannis Boutaris, one of the leading figures in the Greek wine industry and from the renowned Boutaris wine family. Yiannis' grandfather, John Boutaris, established the Boutari Wine Group in 1879, but Yiannis left the family's wine business to set his own path.

The beginnings of Kir-Yianni are rooted in the eastern foothills of Mt. Vermion, in Yianakohori, near the town of Naoussa, where Yiannis Boutaris planted 40 hectares of Xinomavro vines in 1970. This vineyard would later become Ktima Kir-Yianni. In 1985, Yiannis planted 20 hectares of white varieties in the highlands to the west of Mt. Vermion, in the area of Amyndeon. Over the next five years, Yiannis planted Merlot and Syrah in selected vineyard parcels at Ktima Kir-Yianni, varieties which were perfectly suited to the area's mesoclimate.

In 1996, Yiannis purchased an old winery in the village of Agios Panteleimon. This building was nicknamed "Paranga", or Shack, and would go on to become the Kir-Yianni winery in Amyndeon - where this wine was crafted. In 1997, Kir-Yianni was officially founded with the first vintage that was entirely vinified at the newly built Ktima Kir-Yianni winery.

Today, Kir-Yianni is led by Stellios Boutaris, son of Yiannis, and the fifth generation of the Boutaris family of winemakers. Stellios became the managing director of Kir-Yianni in 1999, and was joined soon thereafter by his brother, Mihalis, who returned from his studies at UC Davis. During this period, there was intense experimentation and research on the Xinomavro varietal, with the new generation of Xinomavro wines borne in 2003 based on the results of these experiments. Between 2004 and 2006, 28 hectares of vineyards were re-planted with Xinomavro and other Greek and international varieties, with a focus on ensuring that each varietal is planted on the most appropriate vineyard parcel. With 10 more hectares of vineyards acquired in 2009, Kir-Yianni became one of Greece's largest vineyards.

The philosophy at Kir-Yianni is a fine balance between a hundred-year-long family tradition and the use of new and innovative winemaking techniques. The aim of Kir-Yianni is to produce appealing wines that reflect the potential of the Greek vineyard and its indigenous varieties. Activities in the vineyard and at the winery are based on the principles of integrated farming, with concern about protecting the environment. Kir-Yianni takes proper care in the vineyard, strict selection on the vine and in the cellar, micro-vinifies, and meticulously blends - core practices which endow Kir-Yianni wines with typicity, ageing potential, and consistent quality from vintage to vintage.

This 100% Assyrtiko was grown at an altitude of 700 metres within the Agios Panteleimon viticulture zone, in the Amyndeon appellation of Northwestern Greece. The vines are young, averaging only 8-10 years old, and are planted on poor sandy soil, which helps deliver wines of exquisite finesse and an intense aromatic character. The climate in this region is mildly continental with cold winters, warm summers, and is influenced by the four neighbouring lakes. To vinify this wine, the grapes were carefully destemmed and crushed, and maintained skin contact in order to maximize the extraction of aroma precursors. It was fermented at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks, and remained on its fine lees for an extended period of 4-5 months in order to gain more volume and complexity.

With the impact of climate change, the 2023 growing season began as a very dry and almost warm winter, without the usual snowfall, followed by a nice, cold spring. A very wet June presented challenges for grape health, but Kir Yianni did manage well due to extensive work in the vineyard. In July, there were heat waves which stressed the vines, but warm days and cool nights during harvest season helped save the vintage. Let's see how this 2023 Assyrtiko is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

KIR-YIANNI LE NORD ASSYRTIKO 2023 - Vegan, IGP Florina, Greece (#25707) (XD) - $18.00
Screw cap. Fragrant and intense, the medium-high intensity nose delivers elegant lemon citrus, floral, leesy-stony minerality, ripe pear, spice, and grapefruit aromas with some nuanced orchard fruit notes. It's medium-full bodied with impressive weight, concentration, and depth on the dry, structured palate. Lovely ripe lemon citrus, grapefruit, floral, leesy-stony minerality, pear, and white peach flavours are neatly balanced. It has crisp, clean, juicy, and structured acidity, along with some spice notes and a chalky mineral texture on the mid-palate. Oyster shell mineral flavours with touches of spice linger on the long, crisp, and well-balanced finish. Buy six and enjoy one each year to the end of the decade. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91+ pts

Other fine wines by Kir-Yianni are available at the LCBO, and through their Agent - Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits.