I noticed the aroma first; rich, fruity, full. It was a little hard to wait and allow the bottle to breathe. AU's 2004 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is a 13.8 ABV by volume, but you'd never know it. It's a very very dark crimson, with garnet highlights. There's tannin, but it's mellowed by the fruit and chocolate overtones. The chocolate impression is one that's new to me; it's almost more of an aroma than a taste, and it's reminiscent of a particularly intense dark chocolate. This is definitely a Cabernet Sauvignon, but it's recognizably different from the California and Washington Cabernet Sauvignons I'm familiar with.

I noticed the aroma first; rich, fruity, full. It was a little hard to wait and allow the bottle to breathe. wine/usa/2004_au_coonawarra_cabernet_sauvignon">AU's 2004 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon  is a 13.8 ABV by volume, but you'd never know it. It's a very very dark crimson, with garnet highlights. There's tannin, but it's mellowed by the fruit and chocolate overtones. The chocolate impression is one that's new to me; it's almost more of an aroma than a taste, and it's reminiscent of a particularly intense dark chocolate. This is definitely a Cabernet Sauvignon, but it's recognizably different from the California and Washington Cabernet Sauvignons I'm familiar with.

The AU 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon won one of only two golds at the Australian Small Wine Makers Show. The 2004 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon lists for $9.99—and it's a deal at that price, but we picked up locally at a bargain grocery outlet for $2.99 a bottle. This is the kind of wine that cries out for a good steak with mushrooms, a really good burger, or a mellow cheddar with crisp dry crackers. We purchased it at a local chain of "bargain grocers," at $2.99 a bottle; it retails for $9.99 a bottle, and it's worth every cent. At $2.99, I'm feeling a little guilty, but only a little. It's worth looking for this wine in your area.

South Australia's Coonawarra area, on the "limestone coast," is renowned for its high-quality Cabernet Sauvignons. The climate and terroir are in some ways similar to those of Eastern Washington, with cool nights allowing the grapes to fully ripen slowly. Aussie Vineyards, the owners of the AU brand, is the creation of Craig Gore, with the intent of marketing Australian wine internationally, especially to North America. The AU on the label (in gold type) stands both for AUstralia, and the idea that they feel their wines are "pure gold," like the metal whose symbol is AU. I notice that Aussie Vineyards also produce an AU Barossa Valley Shira 2004z, and I look forward to trying that as well.