Kir-Yianni Estate Ramnista Xinomavro 2017

An aromatic complex wine which combines powerfully fresh red fruits and notes of rose, this is the 2017 vintage of Ramnista. On the palate, gentle tannins and rounded mouth feel, with a distinctive sense of the oak barrel. The unexpectedly full body and robust acidity showcase a great wine with aging potential of up to 15 years.

The Kir-Yianni vineyards have an overall south east exposure at an altitude of 120-280 m. The estate is divided into a mosaic of 42 vineyard blocks of different mesoclimates with varying exposure, orientation, slope, soil type, rootstock, vine density and age, demanding tailor-made viticultural practices for each vineyard block. Rainfall is abundant during the winter months, but summers are so dry that regulated drip irrigation is applied to prevent water stress. Vine density ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 per hectare and the average crop yield is maintained below 2.5 kg per vine.

For Ramnista we use grapes mostly from the vineyard blocks with lower pH and with lighter soil type in order to maximise aromatic intensity and complexity.

The grapes are carefully hand picked and sorted on a conveyor belt before crush. The 2017 Ramnista was fermented for the first time in 5000 ltr wooden vats (French oak) under total controlled temperatures. In order to enhance the wine, the pigeage method is applied where the grape solids are pushed back into the wine for the proper extraction of colour, flavour and tannins. The final blend is made five months after harvest and the last racking takes place about eight months later.

16 months in 225 ltr for 80% of the blend and 500 ltr for the 20%, both French and American oak casks are used, plus further ageing in bottle for another 12 months until its release.