Discerning wine thieves make $300k raid

US police are investigating after three-Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry fell victim to a highly targeted $300,000 raid of its wine cellar on Christmas Day.

The French Laundry

In total 76 bottles were reported missing, nearly all of them wines from top Burgundy producer Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Also involved were a selection of vintages from cult Californian brand Screaming Eagle, five magnums of Dom Pérignon 2004 and four bottles of Frédéric Mugnier’s highly prized 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale.

Confirming the theft, which took place while the Yountville restaurant was closed for Christmas, owner Thomas Keller commented: “We have complete trust in the authorities leading the investigation, and we welcome any information our community may have regarding the event.

“We are confident that if and when any of the stolen bottles appear in public, they will immediately raise questions and red flags among the wine knowledgeable.”

Noting the “singular and distinct” nature of the restaurant’s wine programme, which focuses on “the most famous producers, hard-to-get cult wines and also some little-known gems”, Keller observed: “We look forward to rebuilding our cellar in the meantime and plan to get to the bottom of this disheartening act immediately.”

The door to the wine cellar, posted on The French Laundry’s Instagram page

Reports indicate that the alarm for the wine cellar was not set on the day of the theft. Captain Doug Pike from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office told the San Francisco Chronicle: “We suspect it was deliberately targeted due to the quality of the wines.”

He added: “Whoever was responsible seemed to be selective. There was a small window of time when employees weren’t there, so obviously someone took advantage.”

This theft marks the latest in a series of major restaurant wine heists. Last year thieves made off with 24 bottles, among them once again DRC, from fellow Yountville restaurant Redd.

Meanwhile a number of UK restaurants suffered more brazen thefts by conmen at the end of last year, who deceived staff at Michelin-starred Pied à Terre into parting with £11,500-worth of wine. Just over a week later, a man pretending to work for football star Didier Drogba stole £28,000-worth of wine from two-Michelin-starred Midsummer House in Cambridge.