Logan Wines

According to the price list, Logan Wines are considered, by Matthew Jukes and Tyson Stelzer, as "truly outstanding and every wine in their portfolio is first class".

However, anyone who has traveled on a train will know that there is a lot of difference between first class on a Virgin train and on a GNER train, and the same applies throughout this range of wines from this producer from Orange.

Some of the wines are good, but other... er... not so.

Logan Apple Tree Flat Semillon Sauvignon, 2006 £6.99
A little mineral on the nose, like wet rocks. There is soap on the palate and a bit of spice. Fruit is a bit flat though. 5.5/10

Logan Apple Tree Flat Chardonnay, 2006 £6.99
Yeasty. A lot of confected passion fruit and mango. A bit of spice, and quite a bit of hot alcohol. It's quite clean though on the finish. 6/10

Logan Apple Tree Flat Merlot £6.99
Soft, juicy and with cherry aromas. Palate is a bit bitter and unbalanced. It's got a mid palate dip that allows the alcohol to dominate. Not good, this should be a fiver... if that. 5/10

Logan Weemaia Pinot Gris, 2007 £8.99
Pears and Golden Delicious apples. Quite simple, a bit of hot alcohol. Very clean with a nice graphite flavour. However, the alcohol, like in a lot of these wines, is just too dominant. 7/10

Logan Weemaia Riesling, 2007 £8.99
Very perfumy. A touch of lime and orange. It's simple in your mouth, not too tangy and quite pleasant. 7.5/10

Logan Weemaia Gewurztraminer, 2007 £8.99
Quite nice, a lot of subtle oriental spices - I got a touch of aniseed! The palate is grapefruity, gentle with a softness and good acidity, cleaning up your mouth. Good. 8/10

Logan Weemaia Merlot, 2004 £8.99
Voluptuous. Stewed fruit, quite coconutty with vanilla. Overripe cherry on the palate with milk chocolate. Palate is green, quite tight, firm and a bit metallic. Tobacco on the finish, but it just doesn't work together. 6.5/10

Logan Weemaia Pinot Noir, 2006 £8.99
Nice, soft fruit. a bit closed with sour cherry there. Palate is earthy, closed and has a dark chocolate flavour. 6.5/10

Logan Weemaia Shiraz Viognier, 2005 £8.99
Herby, meaty with a floral element cutting through the weight of the nosel The palate is nice, a touch of spice and the taste of wine gums cutting through the slightly stewed fruit. 7.5/10

Logan Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, 2005 £11.99
Nice, earthy fruit with a juicy, soft perfumy aroma. A bit of oak and vanilla cracking through the fruit. The palate has green, stalky brambles with a touch of black pepper. Quite opulent. Good stuff. 8/10

These wines are what is wrong with a lot of Australian wines. They shouldn't make a bottom end wine, and they do. The Apple Tree flat range is, well, rubbish. If you want this sort of wine, go to a company like Heartland who do it better, for less. The Weemaia range are decent enough but companies like Australia's Heartland or Yalumba, or Crater Rim from New Zealand offer better for the same price. Finally, the Cabernet Merlot is good and worth the money, but do you want to pay twelve quid for a wine that has a purple footprint on it?

Available from Lockett Brothers