the money spider  Roussanne 2024  McLaren Vale, Roussanne (100%)  The Name  The first crop of Roussanne from the 2000  vintage was covered in tiny ‘Money Spiders’.  Popular belief is that kindness to these  creatures will bring good luck, so Chester  refrained from sending the spiders to their  death. By the next year the Money Spiders  had relocated, making the first release of  this wine in 2001.  The Vintage  Early winter was wet, but late winter and  spring were dry. Budburst was early, but  mild weather delayed flowering. Late  spring and early summer rain filled the soil  profile for the first time in summer. High  disease and vine vigor required significant  attention. Warm, dry conditions in January  and February favoured quality. Whites show  high quality with good acidity. McLaren  Vale Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon  Blanc were harvested before the March  heatwave, while other whites and reds  benefited from it. Most premium Shiraz and  Cabernet Sauvignon were harvested before  the heatwave and show very good quality.  Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese varieties  thrived, producing excellent wines. Adelaide  Hills had low yields but high quality. Grapes  for Botrytis (Botryotinia fuckeliana) are still  hanging.  Harvest dates  Residual sugar  8 - Apr  4.6g/l  The Winemaking  Small batches of grapes are gently  crushed and transferred to stainless steel  basket presses. Fermentation is long  and moderately cool to retain fresh fruit  characters, and was conducted in stainless  steel tanks. Only free-run juice was used  for the final wine with no malolactic  fermentation.  The Characteristics  A luminous straw hue with a hint of yellow,  this wine reveals elevated aromas of  honeydew, rockmelon, preserved lemon,  and macadamia. The palate is concentrated  with layers of melon, yellow peach, and  macadamia, offering a creamy texture  complemented by a focused acidity that  underscores its dense and powerful profile.  Exemplifying complexity and balance, this  wine is a sophisticated expression of its  varietal