The news is finally out—after a 10-day suspense-filled on-line countdown, Wine Spectator magazine’s has finally announced its Top Pick for 2008. With 96 points, Chile’s Clos Apalta 2005 by Casa Lapostolle is Number 1!

The magazine reviewed 19,500 wines over the past 12 months, reduced the list to the 5,300 that earned more than 90 points, rolled up their sleeves and began applying rigorous criteria to determine the Top 100 most exciting wines of the year.

The criteria applied are quality (score / 96 points), value (price / $75 USD), availability (production size / 5,987 cases), plus an excitement factor that reflects the tasting panel’s passion for the wine.

Clos Apalta, from the Apalta sector of the Colchagua Valley, was first made in 1997. Owner Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle and her winemaking team—consultant Michel Rolland and house winemakers Jacques Begarie and Andrea León— have continued to build on the wine’s initial success by tweaking the process and striving for greater heights. The grapes have been de-stemmed by hand since 2002, and in 2005 the new 6-story gravity-flow winery was inaugurated just in time for the harvest in April. Clos Apalta’s composition varies from year to year, but has always had a strong component of old-vine Carmenère to make it a truly Chilean wine. The 2005 vintage includes 42% Carmenère, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and new with this vintage, a 4% pinch of Petit Verdot for color and aromatic distinction.

The Wine Spectator announcement comes on the heels of the recent news that Viña Casa Lapostolle was named Wine Enthusiast’s New World Winery of the Year for its high standards throughout its entire product range.

Concha y Toro’s 2005 Don Melchor also fared extremely well as number 12 on the Top 100 list.

This Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted in 1979 in Puente Alto are a consistent representative of the fine wines that hail from Chile’s Alto Maipo Valley.

For more information see: http://top100.winespectator.com/