In December Restaurant Mosaic announced that it would be closing its doors at the end of this month.
This was sad news for patrons who have come to cherish the unique, botany-inspired cuisine. Now, this bitterness is paired with some sweetness, as it brings with it an opportunity: the sale of Mosaic’s incomparable wine collection.
Chef Chantel Dartnall said she was proud that she has been able to pioneer botanical cuisine locally, and it has been gratifying to see that a variety of chefs and restaurants have incorporated some aspects of this style into their own repertoires.
“My team and I have achieved all that we could have hoped for.
“We now leave behind a proud legacy as one of the top fine dining restaurants in South Africa, has also established a solid international presence.
“Many patrons have arrived as strangers and have hugged me at the end of the evening as personal friends, confessing that they were emotionally touched by their experience at Restaurant Mosaic. I will miss the incredible guests and the support we have received from the start. All I can say is that it is time for me to close this book and take a different volume from the shelf – or better yet, to start writing another one,” she said.
Restaurant Mosaic wine cellar holds wines that have come directly from the most admired estates in France: vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti stretching over three decades, or aged Bordeaux from the likes of Petrus, Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild and Château d’Yquem. Port from the greatest houses, dating to the 1960s. Brandies such as Armagnac and Calvados. Champagne blue-chips such as Salon, Krug, or Cristal alongside the very best smaller growers.
In addition to the French selection, the cellar also holds celebrated South African wines in equal measure, ranging from Klein Constantia’s iconic Vin de Constance (over 25 vintages) to the delights of the country’s most sought-after wine farm, Sadie Family Vineyards. Syrahs from Boekenhoutskloof and Mullineux; Chris Alheit’s ultra-rare Radio Lazarus; the famous Lanzerac 1968 pinotage; Tim Atkin’s 100-pointer 2015 Kanonkop Paul Sauer, as well as vintages of the same wine back to the early 1990s, and the list goes on.
In a statement, the general manager of The Orient, Mari Dartnall, described how since last year’s announcement they have been overwhelmed with requests with so many people wanting to dine at Mosaic one last time.
Selections from Restaurant Mosaic’s wine collection will be sold after March 29. Great Domaines will ensure that different parts of the cellar are made available at intervals. Themed and curated offers will be advertised via numerous platforms including a direct mailing list, the Mosaic website, and designated auction houses.