Bovin Chardonnay 2014: Light yellow-green color; melon, banana, pineapple nose; fruity citrus-lemon, green apple on the palate.
Buttery with excellent acidity, pleasing roundness and drinkability; dancing always in the background is “this is not your standard chardonnay” element; there are exotic expressions of chard flavors you likely have not experienced before; it also powers in at 15% alcohol, high for a chard.
Bovin is the first privately owned winery in Macedonia, established in 1998 in the Tikveš region. Bovin is an aggressive player in the export market. The winery is privately owned by the brothers Kiril and Gjorgji Bogevski; they target premium and high end wine drinkers and have moved from 80% domestic consumption to more than 75% export to more than 36 countries, Bovin likely is Macedonia’s premier wine operation and practices environmentally sensitive agriculture.
In other words, it is a maker to watch and you likely can find Bovin bottles with a little searching. It is the house wine in several U.S. restaurants, particularly those looking for an exclusive edge. Formerly part of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Macedonia is located in the center of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe; it is surrounded by Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west.
It’s national flag represents the sun, appropriate because this is sun-drenched county and one of the driest regions in the Balkans. Delicious, exotic, should be on your chard bucket list. $15
Photo is flag of the Republic of Macedonia
