2025: A great vintage indeed
A “smooth” harvest thanks to our systematic work in the vineyard
“2025 has proven to be a very good to standout vintage for both our Estates (Ktima) in Naoussa and Amyndeon, confirming once again that great vintages are very often found in odd-numbered years. After two harvests marked by major challenges caused by extreme weather events, this year we returned to relative normality, with generally typical seasonal conditions and no extreme phenomena. June and July initially caused some concern, as they were particularly hot and dry. However, the significant drop in temperature during the night (up to 10°C lower than daytime highs) made all the difference compared to the previous two years. The outcome was shaped by the sequence of weather conditions — cold and rain when needed, heat combined with cool nights when needed — preserving high acidity levels and contributing to full aromatic and phenolic ripeness of the grapes. Of course, the consistent and systematic work of our team, continuously evolving from vineyard to winery, played a crucial role. Wine enthusiasts are advised to reserve plenty of space in their cellars for our 2025 wines”.
Stellios Boutaris, Winemaker, Ktima Kir-Yianni
KTIMA KIR-YIANNI – AMYNDEON
Climatic Conditions of the Growing Season (November 2024 – October 2025)
Winter : Temperatures followed the long-term regional averages. Rainfall was frequent, along with snowfall, allowing the vines to rest and partially replenish the water reserves for the remainder of the growing season.
Spring : Conditions remained normal for most of the spring. May was cooler than average, with frequent and sometimes intense
rainfall, which, however, did not lead to disease pressure. Budbreak began in mid-April, as is typical for the area.
Ripening Period and Start of Harvest : The very hot and dry June recalled the previous two vintages; however, excellent preparation had already been carried out during winter (e.g. use of grape pomace compost), along with targeted irrigation when necessary. Flowering began during June, once again within the normal timeframe for the region. July continued with intense heat and drought; the critical difference was that nighttime temperatures dropped even below 20°C. Veraison began in late July to early August with early-harvest varieties like Chardonnay, with ripening completed during August and September depending on variety (e.g. Xinomavro), under generally normal conditions, with some rainfall supporting both ripening and final yields. Overall, the very typical August and the slightly warmer September with limited rainfall contributed decisively to the very good to excellent quality, with high acidity, strong aromatic expression and full phenolic maturity. October started cool and quite wet, delaying the harvest of Xinomavro, without compromising grape quality through the end of harvest.
Harvest in Amyndeon began on 22 August 2025 with Chardonnay, followed by Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Malagousia. From mid-September, it was the turn of Assyrtiko and Roditis. On 24 September, the first Xinomavro grapes were harvested for rosé wines (still and sparkling). Harvest for red wines began on 6 October and concluded toward the end of the month.
More about our Single Block Wines
| Vineyard | Variety | Harvest Dates |
| Droumo | Sauvignon Blanc | Aug 26 – Sept 1 |
| Palpo | Chardonnay | Sept 2 |
| Bara | Malagousia | Sept 6 |
| Tarsanas | Assyrtiko | Sept 19 |
More about Xinomavro
| Style | Harvest Start |
| Sparkling | Sept 25 |
| Rosé (Akakies, L’Esprit du Lac) | Sept 24 |
| Red (Kali Riza) | Oct 6 |
Yields
Production in Amyndeon remained within normal regional levels, with slight increases in some varieties and vineyards. Compared to the particularly difficult 2024 vintage, production increased by 10–20%.
Quality Assessment
From a viticultural perspective, grapes were healthy across the board with high-quality attributes: aromatic intensity and excellent acidity for white varieties; good color, vibrant acidity and full aromatic and phenolic maturity for Xinomavro.
From an oenological standpoint, 2025 is a very good to outstanding year. White wines are highly aromatic, with slightly higher alcohol levels but excellent acidity thanks to cool nighttime temperatures. Xinomavro shows attractive color, freshness and fruity aromas in rosés; outstanding base wines for sparkling production with excellent acidity (pH 2.9–3.1) and harvest alcohol around 11%. Red wines show exceptional quality, promising structured wines with good color, aromatic depth and freshness.
KTIMA KIR-YIANNI – NAOUSSA
Climatic Conditions of the Growing Season (November 2024 – October 2025)
Winter : November was typical and relatively dry. December recorded low temperatures without extreme events, supporting the completion of the vegetative cycle and chilling hours accumulation. A mild January was followed by a particularly cold and dry February.
Spring : Early March warmth gave way to a 20-day period of low temperatures. April was rainy, with snowfall on April 7 and low temperatures, though without frost. May also began with prolonged rainfall. To manage strong vegetative growth, careful shoot thinning was carried out per variety and on vine parcel basis whenever temperatures allowed. A characteristic of the year was the convergence of phenological stages: on May 22, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah were in full bloom, followed by Xinomavro from May 26.
Ripening Period and Start of Harvest : Temperatures rose above average in June and especially July, with daytime averages of 33–35°C, dropping by up to 10 degrees C at night. Two short heatwaves occurred in July, each lasting around three days. Veraison began on July 4 with Merlot, July 4–7 for other international varieties, and July 20 for Xinomavro. Except for a brief rainfall at the end of August, the month was cool and dry, allowing veraison to complete smoothly. Excellent grape health was observed across all varieties.
Harvest in Naoussa began on 11 August with Merlot, followed by Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, marking a change in the usual harvest order. September was typical for the season, except for a strong rainfall and temperature drop on the 25th. Harvest of Xinomavro began on 15 September, with notably ripe, small seeds — a hallmark of the vintage. The year also delivered excellent results for organically farmed Syrah and Xinomavro vineyards. Indicative examples include:
| Vineyard | Harvest Dates |
| Giannakochori – Block #5 “Diaporos” | Sept 16–20 |
| Gastra – “Agathoto” Single Block | Sept 25 |
Yields
Production in Naoussa remained within normal levels, ensuring high grape quality. In 2025, yields averaged around 600 kg/str for Cabernet Sauvignon, approximately 1,000 kg/str for Merlot and Syrah, and up to 800 kg/str for Xinomavro. These results reflect our focused vineyard management and commitment to balance through targeted micro-management by variety and vineyard.
Quality Assessment
The excellent conditions of the year resulted in a highly qualitative harvest, with balance between acidity and alcohol. An outstanding year for Xinomavro, comparable to the 2017 vintage in terms of supple tannins, expected to produce wines with aromatic complexity, structure, concentration and great ageing potential. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot also delivered very strong results.
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This 2025 Ktima Kir-Yianni Harvest Report was compiled with the contribution of:
Antonis Kioseoglou, Head Winemaker
Ktima Kir-Yianni – Amyndeon:
Vassilis Mylonas (Vineyard Manager), Margarita Koumpiou (Oenologist), Thomas Georgiou (Cellar Manager)
Ktima Kir-Yianni – Naoussa:
Babis Parcharidis (Vineyard Manager), Fotis Kontidis (Oenologist), Damianos Damianidis (Cellar Manager)
