Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2006 (Victoria) Incredibly tight and unyielding, and a quick decant didn't do all that much either - although it was a bit more open the following day. Nose shows flowers, lime, lemon and steely minerals. Citrus and pear flavours on the palate around a core of minerals and lots of acidity. Long and precise, but this just needs a fair bit of cellar time.
Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2006 (Western Australia) Double decanted over an hour. Smoke, grapefruit, lemon and minerals on the nose and palate with good acidity and a medium length finish. Really impressive - although I think I still preferred the 05 to this by a notch. But this also needs a bit more time.
Port Phillip Estate Shiraz 2004 (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria) A stunning nose - lots of white pepper, spices, blackberries and some notes of grilled meat. The palate just doesn't follow through - it's fairly simple in the mouth with sweet dark fruits (emphasis on the 'sweet'), some pepper, soft tannins and a slightly warm finish.
John's Blend Individual Selection No. 29 Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Langhorne Creek, SA) Gorgeous. Dark reddish-purple in colour. Decanted for about an hour, and the nose is showing lots of tobacco leaf, cassis, smoke, plum and chocolate over herbaceous notes. Really complex and enjoyable, and the palate lives up to the expectations created by the nose. It's plush and medium to full bodied with more tobacco, dark fruits, hints of chocolate and fairly smooth tannins with enough acidity to give it some lift. Nice, long finish. One of the best Aussie Cabs I've ever tasted. (Interesting aside - found out that the winemaker/owner of this estate is Ben Glaetzer's cousin. Quite the winemaking pedigree in that family.)
Cheers, Salil