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North Bar Cellars Library Reserve 2021 Tempranillo
Giving Back to Your Kids
Retired lawyer turned winemaker Kevin Breck made less than 50 cases a year. In 2022 he debuted his brand by entering both his 2017 and 2018 North Bar Cellars Tempranillo into the Oregon Wine Competition, where they both promptly took Double Gold and sold out. I found the 2021 to be spectacular so we bought it all before the competition results could be announced.
After many years as cellar master at famed Barrel 42 in the Applegate Valley, in 2024 Kevin retired and moved back to Detroit after his first grand child was born. These days he is known as "El Jefe" and you'll find him and his wife Anne looking after one very cute baby Oscar while mom and dad are at work.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
North Bar Cellars, Rogue Valley, Oregon
Library Reserve 2021 Tempranillo
The hardest thing about supporting small wineries is that often the production size of wines produced is so small that by the time the wine has aged to perfection, the wine is sold out. It breaks our heart to think of the number of wines consumed before the peak of flavor development. So when we took stewardship of Cellar 503, we committed to buying more than we could afford on discovery of such a wine and to do the right thing - cellar them for our members.
We realize that in most cases, the challenges of having proper (or any) storage space, the time to manage a cellar and knowledge of when is the right time to open a bottle make it difficult if not impossible to give these wines what they need most....time. We identified that this was an opportunity for us to give back.
By properly cellaring and continuously tasting these wines - we are able to pinpoint when they are tasting at their peak, giving back & honoring the families of individuals that poured their hearts and souls into making the most elusive & exclusive wine out there...a wine built to age. Only a small fraction, generally cited as 1% to 5%, of the world's wine is truly built for long-term aging, with most wines made for immediate consumption; the rest, are meant to be enjoyed within a couple years of the vintage to capture their fresh flavors, relying on acidity, tannins, and alcohol for structure.
We hope that you enjoy the first of our "Library Reserve" releases, while this is tasting fantastic at the moment - Kevin's wines are very ageable and you can continue to cellar this wine for another 3 to 5 years for a softer more integrated style of Tempranillo. Or Carpe Diem & drink it now for the big, rich and robust version.
Tasting Notes: Black cherry, black pepper, cedar, clove - medium bodied wine with balanced acidity, juicy mouthfeel & a long lingering finish.
Vineyard: Steelhead Run, Applegate Valley
Soils: Riverwash
Harvested: 9.27.2021
Brix: 23.7
PH: 3.88
Aging: 22 Months in once filled french oak barrels
Cases Produced: 64
A Cellar 503 selection in December 2025, 'Tis the Season for Giving...Back Applegate Valley | Tempranillo
