About Scott Cellars: As the newest winery in Santa Barbara County, Scott Cellars is the culmination of over a decade of intense work and passion. Owner and Winemaker Peter Scott Fraser worked as a wine marketer and winemaker for others while carefully crafting the concept of Scott Cellars. Vineyard-designate wines and unique blends dominate the lineup. Production is very small with an eye on quality first and foremost.
About Peter Scott Fraser: Peter Fraser came to the business of wine via the love of fine wine. In 1995 on a wing and a prayer, Peter left the advertising business to pursue his desire to have his own winery. First came jobs selling wines while studying viticulture and oenology at night. Then in 2000 Peter took over as winemaker at a small winery in Ventura. After honing his winemaking skills for five years, Peter started, “his own winery” in 2005.
The Wines: At only 900 cases Scott cellars is one of the smallest wineries around. The whites, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay are crisp clean wines that pair beautifully with food. The reds are big and bold with surprisingly smooth, silky tannins. The Pinot Noir is elegance in a glass, while the Syrah is firm in structure and loaded with dark fruit flavors. The most unique wine is Cuvee J. It combines 78% Zinfandel with 22% Syrah and balances high alcohol with tremendous fruitiness and firm acidity. I liken it to a linebacker who can dance ballet.
The Vineyards: Since all fruit is sourced, the greatest care is taken when choosing vineyards. All fruit is sourced from Santa Barbara Count except the Zinfandel for Cuvee J comes from French Camp Vineyard in Paso Robles. Pinot Gris comes from Lucas and Lewellen Vineyard while the Chardonnay comes from the famed Bien Nacido Vineyard. The Pinot Noir heralds from a very sandy vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, Sharon’s Vineyard. Finally, the Syrah comes from a wonderful Vineyard called Black Oak in the Los Alamos Valley.
The Philosophy: In one word, “Balance” is Scott Cellars mantra. We strive to balance every aspect of each wine. Acidity needs to balance with the fruit which needs to balance with alcohol which needs to balance with the tannin structure. Each component needs to compliment the other and thus strike a balance for the whole. In other words, the whole becomes greater than the sum of the pieces. This is also known as the transcendent function.
