($27, Boutique Wine Collection): Most rosés are a by-product of the technique, saignée, used to bolster red wines.  The distinctive rosés, such as this one, are the ones in which the producer sets out to make a rosé.  And there is no better producer in Sancerre than Alphonse Mellot.  He presses Pinot Noir grapes, keeping the juice and skins in contact for only a few days.  The resulting salmon-colored wine has a strawberry-tinged minerality and vibrant uplifting acidity.  It’s a serious price for a rosé, but it’s a very serious wine. 90 Michael Apstein Jun 23, 2009