Burgundy wine stolen
Credit: Thomas Skovsende / Decanter
(Image credit: Thomas Skovsende / Decanter)

The wines, including 998 bottles, nine magnums and 43 jeroboams, have a market value of well over £100,000, and include a number of large-format Grand Cru library vintages.

The theft from Domaine Forey’s warehouse, which took place on the night of 9 May, was described as ‘devastating’, and is said to have left domaine owner Régis Forey ‘heartbroken’.

Now importers of Forey wines – including UK-based Georges Barbier and L’Imperatrice in Hong Kong – hope that people in the wine trade will look out for the stolen bottles and report anything suspicious to the authorities.

Two pallets of wine were stolen, including large quantities of 2017 Forey wines from Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Gaudichots, Echezeaux Grand Cru and Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru.

The thieves also took examples of Forey’s Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Petits Monts, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premiers Crus Les Saint-Georges and Les Perrières, Morey-St-Denis Premier Cru, as well as village wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vosne-Romanée.

Describing the theft as ‘devastating’ in an Instagram post, L’Imperatrice said: ‘For Régis Forey, the detrimental event was heartbreaking – the stolen bottles were of the rarest of the estate, including many jeroboams of museum Grands Crus and hundreds of normal-size current release Grands Crus.

‘In addition to the economic damage, the cost included the work that went into making these wines, along the vision and the patience to cellar them for over 20 years.’

Georges Barbier said he understood that the theft was just the latest of a spate of similar recent incidents in the Burgundy region.

Domaine Forey has been contacted for comment on the theft.


The missing wines, list supplied by L’Imperatrice:

Bouteilles Capsules congés de 75 cl

Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2017 6 bouteilles

Echezeaux Grand Cru 2017 84 bouteilles

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2017 92 bouteilles

Bouteilles Capsules neutres de 75cl

Vosne Romanée 1er cru « petits Monts » 2017 96 bouteilles

Vosne Romanée 1er cru « Gaudichots » 2017 240 bouteilles

Echezeaux Grand Cru 2017 240 bouteilles

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2017 240 bouteilles

Magnums capsules neutres de 150 cl

Echezeaux Grand Cru 2017 6 magnums

Clos Vougeot Grand cru 2017 3 magnums

Jéroboam caisse bois de 3 litres

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 1999 1 jeroboam

2004 1 jeroboam

2005 2 jeroboams

2006 2 jeroboams

2007 1 jeroboam

2017 3 jéroboams

Echezeaux Grand Cru 2004 1 jeroboam

2006 2 jeroboams

Vosne Romanée 1er cru « Gaudichots » 2006 1 jéroboam

2017 3 jéroboams

Vosne Romanée 1er cru « Petits Monts » 2005 1 jéroboam

2006 1 jéroboam

Nuits st Georges 1er cru « St Georges » 1998 1 jéroboam

1999 2 jéroboams

2002 1 jéroboam

Nuits st Georges 1er cru »St Georges » 2005 1 jéroboam

2006 1 jéroboam

Nuits st Georges 1er cru « Perrières » 1998 1 jéroboam

2002 1 jéroboam

2006 1 jéroboam

Morey st Denis 1er cru 2005 1 jéroboam

Nuits st Georges 2002 2 jéroboams

2004 3 jéroboams

2006 1 jéroboam

2007 1 jéroboam

Vosne Romanée 2002 2 jéroboams

2004 3 jéroboams

2007 1 jéroboam

Richard Woodard
Decanter Magazine, Wine & Spirits Writer

Richard Woodard is a freelance wine and spirits writer based in the UK. Aside from Decanter, he writes for several wine trade and media outlets including Imbibe, The Drinks Business, Harpers and Drinks International.

Since 2015 he has been the magazine editor of Scotchwhisky.com. He has formerly worked as a wine news reporter at Imbibe and a feature writer for Halycon Magazine.