He's a former chemist who majored in chemistry and biology at university, so it was probably inevitable that when Peter Logan was bitten by the winemaking bug, he was going to do things his way.
In his own words: "The same old thing, there's plenty of that. Why make more?"
And credit where it's due, his desire to forge his own path and tear up the winemaking textbook has worked well.
His Logan winery, with its award-winning cellar door at Mudgee, has been a runaway success. Logan has grown to produce about 50,000 cases annually, and a second cellar door has opened in Orange.
He has been happy to play with lesser-known varieties from Mudgee and Orange, and use unconventional techniques to come up with wines that are as different as they are tasty.
Which brings us to the new Logan range that sits perfectly with his love of experimentation called Logan Lab. Yes, as in laboratory.
It consists of three wines that have just been released - a petit verdot from Mudgee, an Alsatian-style pinot gris from Orange and barrel-fermented marsanne, again from Orange (all $45).
"We're a curious bunch of winemakers here at Logan," Peter explained.
"With Logan Lab I wanted to share the very finest results from our small batch experiments.
"Each year we play around with different winemaking techniques, or maybe a new variety sourced from a neighbour, or a different blend in the end wine ... whatever.
"In the past these small experiments were blended away and inevitably lost in a much larger batch.
"I always felt a tinge of regret that nobody except our winemakers got to experience the joy and intrigue from the successful trials.
"Now we have Logan Lab for that - a once yearly, limited release addition to our range."
With no rules, and experimentation front and centre, it's anyone's guess what the Logan team will come up with.
Of the first wines, when pushed, the winemaker acknowledges that the petit verdot in particular pleases him.
"It's a mixture of pretty perfume, followed by deep, dark depth and plush soft tannins is a winner - and that's with or without food."
The desire to make wines that he likes to drink has always been a motivating factor.
"I always wanted to excite me, not cater to a demographic," he said. "So, I admit, I've gone against a lot of strong opinions, including my family's, and happily deviated from the winemaking script.
"I chose the then unfamiliar NSW Central Ranges as my base, planted tempranillo, made pinot gris when few did, made gewurztraminer, which even fewer did, created whimsical labels, fermented white grapes on skins, used large barrel oak, used wild yeasts, and now I even sell wine in kegs."
Orthodox he is not. There's probably a winemaking rule that Peter Logan hasn't broken yet, but give him time.
Logan Lab us just getting started.
WINE REVIEWS
A TRUE GENTLE HIGH
Logan Lab
Petit Verdot, 2022
$45
Petit verdot is usually blended with other members of the cabernet family, but you occasionally see it as a standalone wine. In its spiritual home in Bordeaux, it can be quite high in tannin, but this Mudgee wine, from 550 metre altitude, is the opposite - soft and supple. Good depth of flavour ... blueberries, dark chocolate, coffee and red liquorice.
FRUITY EXPLOSION
Beyond the Wilderness
Sauvignon Blanc, 2022
$25
This is from Tasmania and it has all that cool-climate freshness and zing you expect of a good sauvignon blanc. The nose is like a tropical fruit salad - enticing stuff - leading to flavours of pears, stonefruit, citrus and lime zest. All in all, a rather moreish fruit bomb ... vibrant and full of life. Available at Vintage Cellars.
GENEROUS GRENACHE
Krondorf Stone Altar
Old Vine Grenache, 2022
$68
This Barossa Valley red is made from the best parcels of grenache fruit from the vintage. Turkish delight and raspberry on the nose, aromatic and very appealing, leads to a generous palate, rich mouth-filling flavours of red fruits, cherry and raspberry, with licorice and spice. Flavour aplenty, as you'd expect of good grenache.
