Ever since the first time I watched the movie Sideways, I have wanted to try a bottle of Sea Smoke.  Their Botella Pinot Noir (vintage unknown) was featured at the seriously over served double date dinner for Myles, Jack, Stephanie and Maya.

Sea Smoke isn’t open to the public though, and their bottles are challenging to find.  So, when I saw this one covered with dust and on the hard-to-reach top shelf at a store in Vancouver, I grabbed it.

Now the challenge became deciding upon an event at which to pop this cork.  A university graduation fit the bill admirably, so we paired it with lemon chicken saltimbocca, handmade pasta and pesto sauce, and balsamic tossed greens for an incredibly tasty convocation experience.

Pale straw on the eyes, the 2013 Chardonnay has aromas of lemon, apricot, white flowers, sea air, and lightly toasted oak.

The palate has perfectly balanced acidity with citrusy lemon zest, mandarin, white peach, wet stone, salt, and smokey hazelnut.  A lingering finish rounds off its beautiful body.

This outstanding wine and food combination was the perfect one for celebrating Jenna’s BSc, Biology.  The creamy lemon and salty prosciutto in the chicken dish combined seamlessly with the citrus, salinity, and acidity of the wine, and the body and judicious wood supported the pasta, basil and sage.

Congratulations!