Cool climate chardonnay is elegant and fresh - what's more, it ages so much better than its warmer climate counterparts.

No wonder Philip Shaw was attracted to Orange. He's made Chardonnay from every major Australian wine region, yet it is here that he feels most confident. Understandable given his 1997 Orange Chardonnay won the Best Chardonnay in the World at Vin Expo, Bordeaux.

Daily Telegraph
Jeff Collerson - November 10 2004
The Climbing stars are an '04 chardonnay, elegant like its Rolling equivalent but with greater complexity and richness, a mouth-filling '03 merlot and a tightly structured '03 cabernet sauvignon that has a delicious mouth-feel and a grippy finish.

City Weekly
Dorian Wild - 14 October 2004
In the Climbing range the chardonnay is lithe, lovely, delicately oaked and lightly creamy - a style to lure drinkers back to this sadly-abused variety.

WineState
Nov/Dec 2004
Excellent aromas of stewed peaches and pears. A soft, dry white palate with some melon/cashew malo complexity. Quite tart acid on the finish.

TASTED
Philip White
This is Philip Shaw's new brand from Mt Canobolas near Orange in Nsw South Wales. The extreme altitude - 600m to 1100m, more than twice the height of Mt Lofty, helps give the chardonnay more pear flavours than peach, and the wine has pleasing leafy hints, supple viscosity, a long smooth middle and lingering dry tannins in the finish. It's elegant and stylish. Just right for garfish and hollandaise.

Herald Sun
Paddy Kendler - 11 January 2005
Cumulus is a new label originating in Orange, NSW, a cool-climate region with huge potential to produce dry table wines of elegance and complexity. Driving the new venture are former Rosemount maestro Philip Shaw and ex-Coldstream Hills winemaker Philip Dowell. It is early days for Cumulus and its two ranges, Rolling and Climbing, but expect to see some exciting developments down the track. Meanwhile, keep an eye out for this handy chardonnay. Its crisp citrus and melon flavours are enhanced by some French oak

Progress Leader
Roy Moorfield - 29 November 2005
It's unnerving to order an "Orange" wine, but this one, from the latest emeging Australian wine region, will instantly put you at ease. The inland high-country vineyards of New South Wales are maturing and rewriting the boundaries of the state's wines. Produced by former Rosemount and Southcorp senior winemakers, it shows experience and style. High altitude and cold nights have produced a wine with great underlying acid and a long finish. Its restrained fruit flavour shows chardonnay at its best.

Cumulus Wines Climbing Orange Chardonnay Year - 2004 Price - 17     Rating - ***½
Excellent aromas of stewed peaches and pears. A soft, dry white palate with some melon/cashew malo complexity. Quite tart acid on the finish.