It takes a certain commitment to the cause to buy a business, then promptly close it for the next couple of years so you can spend a further small fortune on it.
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But that's what happened when former Newcastle Knights deputy chairman Allan McKeown bought Eagle's Rest vineyard and cellar door in the heart of Pokolbin in 2019.
The doors were shut for two years before newly-named Bonvilla Estate was reopened to the public - and what a transformation it was. Ugly duckling turns swan.
"The fit-out was close to a million dollars," operations manager Jo Minett said.
If the Minett name sounds familiar, she was the owner of popular Newcastle marina restaurant Rocksalt for 17 years - from seafood to semillon.
"The large doors opening to the outside give it that inside-outside feel, the beautiful stone fireplace . . . it has all been done so well."
And while the Oakey Creek Road property - 100 acres, with 40 under vine - and cellar door is up and running, the work is not finished.
"We are going to make the members' area much larger, have an event space and build a couple of luxury villas as well," Minett said.
The new plans will take further advantage of the wonderful views from Bonvilla's elevated position.
But, as with any cellar door, it's still the wines that hold sway.
Enter winemaker PJ Charteris - one of the Hunter's finest.
He had, at one stage, been contract winemaker for Eagle's Rest and was familiar with the property.
"It's a really good patch of dirt, planted in '98," Charteris said.
"In the past a lot of the grapes have been sold to other Hunter winemakers. They know how good the fruit is here.
"The flagships are the shiraz and semillon, which are on the southern side of the cellar door.
"The semillon has a great track record - no surprise because Oakey Creek vineyard is just down the hill and it produces some outstanding semillon.
"The shiraz is at the top of the hill on heavier clay loam soil. Its flavours are in that blue-fruit spectrum.
"The chardonnay is on the north side of the property and is stonefruit driven. We've put a lot of work into that vineyard.
"The verdelho is good too - we're actually making a fortified verdelho as well which we're all pretty excited about."
There's also a methode traditionnelle sparkling shiraz and sparkling rose, so it's an eclectic mix.
"But all the fruit is from here," Minett added.
"All up, we're doing nine wines . . . about 1200 bottles of each. Prices range from $26 up to $80 for our Bastille shiraz."
She said membership was going well. It offered two levels: Bordeaux and Lafayette.
"Bordeaux is limited to 100 members, and as an added attraction members get use of the cellar door for private functions once a year - that has been really popular," she said.
WINE REVIEWS
Crisp character
Bonvilla Estate
First Release Semillon, 2019
$52
With five years of bottle age, this wine is in a good place right now. The aged characters are starting to show - lemon colour, lanolin on the nose, hints of toast - but there's still enough acidic freshness to retain its crispness. Those typical lemon and kaffir lime flavours, filling out with good palate weight, and a clean citrussy finish.
IN GOOD HANDS
Crittenden Los Hermanos
Tempranillo, 2022
$30
Los Hermanos translates to "the siblings" - a tribute to the Crittenden children's roles in the family business. It's a bright, zippy wine built to be enjoyed in the short term - say, three years or so. Cherry and spice on the nose, but darker fruit on the tongue ... dark plum, blackberry and chocolate. A very easy-drinker.
GENEROUS PRAISE
Penny's Hill Edwards Road
Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022
$30
A typically full-bodied, generous McLaren Vale cabernet. It's from a small block of premium cabernet on the slightly elevated Penny's Hill vineyard. The nose tells the story of what's to come - brambly dark fruit, mint chocolate and dried herbs. On the tongue it's all that, plus aniseed. Medium bodied, big on oomph and good value.
