J. McClelland Cellars

In 2008, the Scotto Family began preparing for the production of a collection of world class wines from Napa Valley dedicated to and named for their long time friend, trusted advisor and iconic California wine industry personality John McClelland. 

J. McClelland Cellars was launched in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their friendship, John's continuing contribution to Scotto Cellars and to honor his six decades of service to the industry. All fruit would be sourced from select Napa Valley vineyards by Winery Director and Winemaker Paul Scotto and vinified with Winemaker Mark Smith at the Scotto family's newly acquired J. McClelland Cellars winery in the Valley's eastern hills

In 2014 the J. McClelland Cellars team was enhanced with the addition of Mitch Cosentino, the renowned and frequently awarded winemaker who brought many years of Napa Valley knowledge, experience and vineyard contacts to the project. Since its first release in 2015, JMC wines have garnered more than four dozen prestigious awards and 90+ point scores from highly respected critics as well as national and international wine competitions.

In 2013, the Scotto family decided to expand their Napa Valley presence by producing a wine honoring their 50th harvest in California. Although they envisioned 50 Harvests as a singular addition to their portfolio, it was also intended to memorialize the family's winemaking heritage originating on the Island of Ischia just off the Italian coast in 1883. That is when Salvatore Dominic Scotto began the family's five-generation journey producing quality wines to grace the table of eager followers.

In 2017 The Lost Chapters was born representing the culmination of 5th generation Winemaker Paul Scotto's dream. Each year Paul sources and crafts dozens of brands, varietals and blends for the Scotto Family's extensive wine portfolio. In his relentless search for just the right barrel lots to fit the profile of each bottling, Paul occasionally encounters something very special that deserves its own place. While these select and limited lots may enhance a given blend, they would also present themselves far better as a stand-alone that most likely would not be repeated in future vintages.

The Scotto family's vinous heritage and history dates back to 1883 when Salvatore Dominic Scotto, an officer in the Italian Navy, began making wine at their home on the Island of Ischia just off the coast of Italy. In addition to making wine for his family (a long-held custom in Italy), Salvatore also treated his friends and neighbors to the fruits of his labor.

Salvatore passed on the winemaking tradition to his son Dominic who in 1903, migrated to Brooklyn, NY, taking up residency in a brownstone near the docks where he was a ships caulker. He followed the Scotto family tradition by sharing his winemaking skills with his sons, and they began selling five gallon crocks from the family's horse-drawn wagon. In 1946, they opened D. Scotto Wines, a retail store in downtown Brooklyn that sold quality wines from around the world.

After Prohibition Anthony Sr. began selling his father's homemade wine in one gallon jugs from pushcarts and later, with his older brother Sal, created Villa Armando (nicknamed Rustico). Still in production today, it is one of the country's oldest brands and has filled more than 200,000,000 glasses with a traditional Old World Italian Red. Just after harvest in 1963 the family moved across the country to California.

Anthony II entered the family's wine business in 1975 while in his teens and with "a bit of Villa Armando in his blood," he eventually became not only a winemaker and winery owner but also an exporter and consultant. He passed his skills and experience along to the 5th generation who created three separate but complimentary wine companies. Today, Anthony III, Natalie, Paul and Michael share a vision of operating their various wine businesses with an eye toward the 6th generation.

Anthony III is CEO of Scotto Cellars. Paul Scotto is Director of Winemaking for all Scotto Family brands and his own Sera Fina Cellars from Amador County. Natalie Scotto-Woods is COO and Operations Director of Scotto Cellars and Proprietor of J. McClelland Cellars, and Michael Scotto is Production and General Manager Scotto Cellars. Together this fifth generation is continuing to build strong relationships with both trade and consumers while expanding distribution throughout the U.S. and eleven export markets.

Winemakers Paul Scotto and Mitch Cosentino both agree wholeheartedly that before the first grape is brought to the winery 80% to 90% of the eventual wine's merit has been determined in the vineyard. No matter how skilled the winemaker is, the vineyard is the ultimate contributor to a wine's excellence.

Care in the vineyard is a painstaking task because there are no shortcuts where a premium wine is concerned. In conjunction with the grower and farmer, it is the winemaker's responsibility to ensure all the proper measures are taken from bud break to flowering, on to set, veraison and harvest, then to pruning in preparation for the coming season.

But vineyard quality rests not only with the vine itself. Care, experience and ingenuity must be exercised to guarantee the proper health of the soil so that each vine has all it needs to produce fruit worthy of a fine winemaker's talents. Here is where both Paul and Mitch rise to a level envied by others and equaled by few.

Winemaker Paul Scotto grew up in Pleasanton, CA ("just hanging out in my grandfather's winery") where he learned about the Scotto family's four generations of winemaking history dating back to 1883 in Ischia, Italy. To fulfill his destined role within this great tradition for the fifth generation, Paul attended UC Davis where he refined his winemaking and business skills.

However, prior to joining the family wine business he wanted some independent experience. After graduating in 2002 Paul joined the winemaking team at a widely respected Russian River Valley Pinot Noir producer. Next followed a stint with the Vermeer Company selling vineyard equipment and broadening his winegrowing knowledge.

Paul joined his family in 2009 as the director of winemaking for their Lodi, Amador and eventually Napa Valley wineries where he continued his passion for the creation of small lot premium wines focusing on the vineyard's expression in the finished product. Paul's enviable award winning portfolio includes numerous wines from all three wineries including both varietal examples and finely balanced blends.

In 2010 he launched his own Sera Fina Cellars in the historic Gold Rush community of Amador to focus primarily on Italian and Rhone varietals and blends. Paul's love of blending and innovation carried him beyond his vinous history to another "unique adult beverage" that has taken off under his tutelage alongside the Scotto family wines.

In 2014 Paul teamed-up with his brother Michael to pursue this "second" love of premium hand-crafted ciders with the launch of The Cider Brothers portfolio produced in the family's Lodi winery. Along with the traditional hard apple ciders everyone expected, he expressed his love of blending with the pioneering combination of Pinot Grigio and apple cider. This novel idea generated a roaring reception among consumers and critics and continues on with other cider creations as well.

When not working feverishly in the vineyard and winery (or avidly following the Golden State Warriors), Paul cherishes his time with his wife Whitney and their three energetic sons Dante, Luca and Carlo and enjoys a wide variety of sports and family outings.

Paul's energy and commitment drive him to pursue the family's stellar history for the fifth generation as a guiding force for J. McClelland Cellars and The JMC Luxury Portfolio.

Winemaker Mitch Cosentino grew up in Modesto, California and launched his four decade long winemaking career in 1980 in his home town. He moved to Napa Valley in 1990 and eventually established his eponymous Cosentino Winery in Yountville. After its sale Mitch established pureCru Napa Valley and in 2014, joined the Scotto family and John McClelland as Consulting Winemaker for the launch of J. McClelland Cellars.

Mitch is the personification of a "hands-on" winemaker with his never ending drive and oversight from the vineyard to bottle and on to the glass. With his far-reaching expertise, Mitch has garnered almost 2000 awards and medals including the prestigious "Andre Tchelistcheff Winemaker of the Year" award in 2003 and numerous awards for "Best Wine" and "Best Cabernet" of the year in multiple vintages and competitions.

With foresight of things to come in the market, Mitch broke new ground with the founding of the Meritage Association (now known as the Meritage Alliance) in 1988 and produced the first American wine bottled with that designation.

Mitch is widely recognized in the international winemaking community for his blending skills, deep connection with the vineyard and amazing palate memory. He artfully combines these great skills in each of the wines he crafts exhibiting the distinctive expression of the vineyard and varietal (or mix of varietals) in precise balance.

Mitch has expanded his role beyond the vineyard and winery into wine education, lecturing on wine and winemaking at several colleges and universities and at the request of the Italian government, speaking at the first World Conference for Nebbiolo in Italy. He has also judged many competitions both domestically and abroad.

According to Mitch, if he could share a glass of wine with anyone it would be his grandmother Francesca. "She lived to 108 and enjoyed a glass of red wine every day of her wonderful life."

Combining his "hands-on" tradition with a pledge to time honored Old World techniques, Mitch is committed to crafting small lots of extraordinary wines. A perfect fit with the Scotto family's vision for J. McClelland Cellars and The JMC Luxury Portfolio.