Spring has Sprung – another Rosé Recommendation!

With the smell of fresh spring blossoms in the air, the season could not be more delightful here in Minnesota’s Twin Cities!  I L-O-V-E this time of year when the season is just right.  Today with all the gorgeous fresh smells and just the right temperature, I was suddenly in the mood to drink rosé and fresh white wine by the gallon.  With a sort of, bopping all over town, kind of day I tasted through a slew of great Minneapolis restaurant wine lists.  But…after a day of tasting wine and meeting with some of my favorite folks in the restaurant industry, I ran into one good glass of rosé at the end of my day…so I thought I’d share. 
You know, I’m always intrigued by my old friends at the Westin Hotel, BANK Restaurant.  They change the wine list up often, they rearrange their varietals and keep the list always looking fresh with new finds.  The wines are geared some seasons to fit the national travel of the hotel and some seasons are geared to fit just the right season with some really stellar producers.  I think they’ve hit the nail on the head this season!  I’m digging a lot of their new wines. 
But one, I could NOT pass up on writing about… the 2009 Anne Amie ‘Midnight Saignée’ Rosé (of Pinot Noir)- Willamette Valley, Oregon.  Man, this was good!  While I’m already a fan of Pac NW rosés, and not usually of Anne Amie’s wines (I had run into the wines quite often when I lived in the Willamette Valley), this wine came as a huge surprise.  I think after today, I’m going to have to look more into their portfolio again.  (A short little ditty on the French term ~ Saignée: means to ‘bleed’ off the juice from its original limited contact with the grape skins.)
My notes on the 2009  Anne Amie Rosé :  Soft and juicy with hints of fresh watermelon, lightly scented rose petals, hints of fresh lavendar, juicy kiwi – the glass was filled with everything spring.  Fresh, yet not over extracted with over-ripe fruit.  Filling, yet refreshing.  And certainly reminded me more of a Provence Rosé than a new world American Rosé.  I loved every drop of it!  And, probably could be found on a retail shelf for no more than $15-$18.  Excellent and today, my favorite rosé of the 2009 vintages I’ve tasted so far!
Thought I would share what some of my favorite peeps are up to on one my favorite restaurant lists…if you get a chance, check out BANK Restaurant at the Westin Hotel, downtown Minneapolis and get a glass of that rosé to celebrate the season!