A gang of thieves have reportedly stolen hundreds of thousands of euros worth of fine wine from a famous restaurant in Paris, the latest audacious wine heist in the French capital.
The robbery at the Michelin-starred Maison Rostang in the 17thdistrict was discovered on Monday with around 150 bottles worth an estimated €400,000-600,000 having been taken.
According to various media reports, a narrow opening just 50cm across was discovered in the cellar wall through which the thieves are thought to have gained access.
The cellar is currently being renovated but is known to have contained labels from some of the greatest domaines in France, including Petrus and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
What exactly has been taken has not been revealed so far but any one bottle of Bordeaux or Burgundy’s top-most estates can fetch many thousands of euros.
The apparent use of a tunnel recalls the famous incident in 2017when a gang used the Paris catacombs to break into a private cellar in the smart 6tharrondissement and stole fine wines worth €250,000.
Later that year another gang smashed their way into a whisky shopin the 8th and stole 69 bottles of whisky worth close to €700,000.
Back in 2009 French police arrested a man who had stolen hundreds of bottles of top wine from various Parisian restaurants and thieves have also targeted the source on several occasions, breaking into the cellars of famous domaines in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne over the years.