Some open-faced thieves managed to steal a large haul of wines, valued at 111,343 euros, at midday last Sunday from the Vins i Licors Grau store in Palafrugell (Baix Empordà). Three people entered the Grau family store, which was full of customers. They stayed there for a long time before striking. They stole up to nine bottles, most of them from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti burgundy cellar, one of the most famous brands in the world.
They took them after forcing the display case where they were exposed with the help of a lever and suction cups. The most expensive bottle they stole is the 2008 vintage Romanée-Conti pinot noir, valued at 29,950 euros. They also took a 2013 Romanée-Conti, whose price amounts to 25,659 euros. From this same winery they stole La Tâche from 2015, which sells for 12,699 euros, or the mythical Château Pétrus Bordeaux from 2016, which was on display at Vins i Licors Grau at the price of 5,702 euros.
The thieves fled with the wine loot in a car, a Citroën C-3, which they had parked about 200 meters from the establishment on the Torroella de Palafrugell road. In their hasty exit from the store, one of them lost a fanny pack with personal belongings and documentation, and they also dropped a mobile phone and two suction cups with which they opened the display case.
Those responsible for Vins i Licors Grau also managed to write down the number plate of the thieves’ car and have provided the Mossos d’Esquadra with the images from the store’s security cameras. The Mossos d’Esquadra affirm that so far no arrests have been made related to this case. The stolen wines were insured, although the store owners do not know if the insurance covers 100% of the stolen value.
Jordi Grau, assistant to the management of Vins i Licors Grau, is optimistic about the possibility that the thieves will be arrested and the bottles can be recovered. He affirms that today, Tuesday, they will install a new acoustic alarm that they had already contracted after another robbery attempt that they suffered last April. And it is not the first time that a notorious robbery has been consummated in Vins i Licors Grau.
Seven summers ago, seven magnum bottles (of a liter and a half) of the renowned Dom Pérignon champagne were stolen, which at that time they sold at a unit price of 440 euros As a result of this case, Jordi Grau explained that it was “almost impossible” to open where they exhibit its most valued wines.
