Domaine Jacques Selosse burgled

Champagne house Jacques Selosse was burgled last week with thieves making off with thousands of bottles.

Anselme Selosse in his vineyards in Avize

In what has been described as a “professional” job, a team of burglars broke into the cellars of Anselme Selosse’s winery in the early hours of Friday morning last week and made off with 3,700 bottles.

According to local paper l’Union, the gang even used alcoholic sprays to eliminate any traces of DNA.

A total of eight pallets, seven of which were wrapped and destined for the US and Japan were stolen.

Speaking to the drinks business, Selosse said that the cuvées stolen were: the brut “Initial”; the single vineyard blanc de blancs “Substance”; another blanc de blancs “Version Originale”; the rosé and the demi-sec “Exquise”.

He stressed however that the theft had not made a dent in his stocks, “in business terms its nothing,” he said.

He added too that the wines bound for the US had the necessary back label and those for the US and Japan bore the name of the intended importer to both countries.

Selling the bottles on will therefore prove difficult.

Of greater concern is the fact that the thieves also made off with 16,000 labels and 12,000 neck collars.

“We suspect that they wish to make fakes,” he added.

However, here too the thieves may find passing off fake Champagne a problem.

“We are the only producer that uses black glass,” said Selosse. “If anyone sees our labels used on the usual green bottles then they are fakes.”

Selosse is not the only high profile winery to be targeted by thieves recently. Château Palmer was recently broken into and had 300 bottles stolen.

However, the thieves were petty local criminals and were soon arrested and the wine recovered.