Overview
- Twelve alleged members of the network appeared in Bordeaux on November 26, with the court scheduling debates to continue through the end of the week.
- Defense lawyers contest the legality of the referral, arguing some defendants were never tried in first instance and three were not formally placed under investigation, as the court agreed to hear the case while joining these challenges to the merits.
- Prosecutors cite roughly 18 thefts and attempts in 2019–2020 targeting négociants and châteaux in Gironde after daytime scouting, with alarms neutralized and building cladding cut using angle grinders.
- The alleged haul features labels such as Lafite-Rothschild, Pétrus, Château Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Yquem, Mouton-Rothschild and Opus One, with reported losses ranging from about €3 million to nearly €5 million.
- Investigators say the network was dismantled in December 2020 with multiple arrests and around 900 bottles seized, describing a resale pipeline linking local teams to receivers in Paris and buyers in Asia.