Crossfire! Fresh 2021 vintage, and arguably one of the best yet of this bottling.

94 Points! Over $100 OFF!?

What other Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Cabs can you get near this price?

Answer: NONE.

But for fun, let’s just peek at a few alternatives:

Purlieu? That’ll run $229. Taub Family? Cheaper $129 but still…not $45. Carte Blance, Venge, B Cellars - all $150-225.

You just can’t go wrong with this combination of site, varietal and vintage and Vinous confirms what we already know - this is one bad mamma jamma!

Missouri Hopper is one of the best. And as we mentioned above, you will be hard pressed to find a solid example below the $150-250 range. With neighbors like Vine Hill Ranch and Dominus that’s understandable. A Heritage site with an illustrious history, its namesake was a prominent landlady of 1870s Oakville, when it was planted.

And Maltus emerged as a leading visionary from the 1990s ‘garagiste’ period in St.-Émilion, where he pushed the limits and broke all the traditional rules to set new expectations for quality and price. He does it all, most notably across places like Le Dôme and Teyssier and other top Right Bank estates. World’s End is his Napa outfit, and he’s connected with all the right vineyards for sourcing.

Does sourcing get better than this? The truth is in the bottle. Quite large in stature, this is a full-throttle, extracted beast of a Cab. Positively busting with inky black fruit - blackcurrant, black plum and blackberry pie. Sweet tobacco, graphite, mocha and streaks of violet abound. Lovers of traditional, old-school, low alcohol Cabs may find it hard to understand but if you want a hedonistic thrill ride type of a Cab, it’s right up your alley.

This too shall sell out.

94 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous “These are two super-expressive wines from Jonathan Maltus’s World’s End range. The wines are done in a sumptuous style that emphasizes textural richness and early approachability. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Crossre Beckstoer Missouri Hopper Vineyard is an attractive wine from Jonathan Maltus’s World’s End. Crushed owers, mocha, raspberry, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco lift this gracious, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright acids pull it all together nicely. Drink 2025-2033.”

93 Points – James Suckling “Layers of black fruit with a savory edge, showing aromas of blackcurrants, cassis and roasted coffee beans. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and acidity, showing notes of mulberries, tobacco leaves and violets. Wonderfully complex and giving. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.”

91-93 Points – Jeb Dunnuck “Also from Oakville and brought up in 80% new oak, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Crossfire reveals a ruby/plum hue to go with attractive notes of black cherries, blackberries, savory herbs, leather, and graphite. It, too, is structured, has ripe tannins, and medium to full body. It s clearly an outstanding wine in the making.”