From the first moment the viticultural zone of Naoussa was created, it was obvious that, within its boundaries, significant differences between individual vineyards existed. More specifically, it was observed that depending on the soil type, orientation and slope of the vineyards there were great variations in the character of the wines produced. Thus a discussion started about defining the different crus of Naoussa, namely the vineyards that show a quality higher than the average of the rest of the zone.

Even if the term cru comes from the French vineyard classification system, and despite the tendency to compare Xinomavro with Pinot Noir and Naoussa with Burgundy, selecting the best vineyards of the Naoussa area can only highlight the great potential of the Northern Greece vineyard and the complexity, uniqueness and versatile character of Xinomavro.

Research carried out by the Greek Wine Institute and the Wine Roads of Northern Greece proved indeed what all the local wineries already knew: that different vineyards produce grapes with different characteristics, and, hence, wines with a distinguishable character. For example, the early ripening grapes from the commune of Trilofos give better results in the years of poor weather conditions than the grapes originating from the commune of Marina, where ripening occurs later. These variations could eventually lead to a division of the Naoussa zone into “communes”, such as Trilofos, Marina, Polla Nera, and then into selected crus, such as Gastra, Ramnista, Paliokalias and Gallika.

Kir-Yianni Estate, reflecting the Naoussa zone on a smaller scale, includes vineyard blocks with various soil types and orientation, which constantly produce grapes with different characteristics. Some of them, such as vineyard blocks 9, 4, and 5, give wines rich in body and volume, while other vineyard blocks, such as #12, 13 and 14, give wines with a lighter, fruitier character. Our first try to highlight one of the Estate’s crus was the creation of Diaporos, a wine made from grapes grown in the vineyard block #5. This successful start gave us the motive to continue working on the Kir-Yianni Estate crus. Soon you will be able taste the results of our efforts.