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
