Connoisseurs will covet this remarkable wine collection

The catalogue for Strauss & Co’s three-day live sale of fine wine and modern, post-war and contemporary art bears testimony to the role of passion, research, discernment and time in collecting.

The sale commences on Sunday with a session devoted to a single-owner collection of fine wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne.

Over the following two days, Strauss & Co will be offering paintings acquired by the late entrepreneur Toy Mostert, three sculptures from the Afrox corporate art collection and two pieces formerly owned by art historian Esmé Berman.

“The remarkable wine collection has its origins in the owner’s early adulthood, when he began collecting wine,” says Bina Genovese, Strauss & Co’s joint managing director.

“After initially focussing on Burgundy and Bordeaux wines, and following on leads from personal research and the recommendations of experts, he later expanded his collection.

“Collecting wine was a serious pursuit, but he frequently shared his passion by the glass with family and knowledgeable guests.

“This mix of connoisseurship and geniality is a hallmark of the devoted collector and explains why it is always such a pleasure for Strauss & Co to handle these ambitious collections.”

The Bordeaux selection includes sealed cases of Chateau Margaux (estimate R90 000 to R120 000) and Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac (estimate R130 000 to R150 000), as well as a stunning bottle of 1962 Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes (estimate R15 000 to R18 000), often described as the greatest sweet wine.

The collection, which also includes 1993 vintages of Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin (estimate R140 000 to R200 000) and Dujac Bonnes Mares (estimate R85 000 to R120 000), has been stored in a private cellar in Cape Town.

Over the last two decades Strauss & Co has gained a reputation for handling important single-owner collections of important South African art.

The 17 pieces in the late Toy Mostert collection reflect the tastes of this popular sports journalist and promoter-turned-empowerment entrepreneur.

Mostert helped build the careers of star footballers Jomo Sono and Kaizer Motaung, as well as champion heavyweight boxer Gerrie Coetzee.

In 1975, Mostert, together with Sono and another partner, opened the first KFC outlet in Soweto; they built the business up and six years later they had 46 branches.

“Toy and his wife Cecilia were avid and eclectic art collectors, delighting in acquiring works by both major and lesser-known 20th-century South African artists,” says Susie Goodman, executive director at Strauss & Co. “Important artists in this wonderful collection include JH Pierneef and Pieter Wenning.”