grand cru wine
Credit: Decanter
(Image credit: Decanter)

Arrests were made following raids in the Bordeaux area, in the Loire and in Dordogne last week by police investigating the theft of grand cru wines, according to French media reports.

Several hundred bottles of fine wines were found in the raids, including varying quantities of Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Château Margaux, Château d’Yquem and those of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, among others, according to a photo published by Sud-Ouest newspaper and credited to the national Gendarmerie.

It is believed the gang has orchestrated a series of fine wine thefts in France, stealing bottles worth more than €5m in total.

Patrick Léonard, deputy interregional director of the judicial police in Bordeaux, told France Info that the gang was running a sophisticated operation.

‘These are professionals who know how to get around security measures, such as alarms, cameras or motion sensors,’ he said in a video interview.

Several police departments have worked together on the investigation for more than a year, coming together in a working group known as ‘Magnum’, according to Sud-Ouest.

It was not clear how long the gang has been active, nor which specific thefts it was suspected of being involved in.

The judicial police in Bordeaux could not be immediately reached for comment.

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Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.