Thieves stole an estimated $700,000 in high-end wine from Lincoln Fine Wines in Los Angeles on Saturday, according to NBC Los Angeles. Around 12:30 a.m., robbers cut a hole in the building’s roof and lowered themselves into the shop using a rope before grabbing a sizable amount of inventory. The suspects took around 700 rare bottles, ranging in value from several hundred dollars to more than $3,000.
About 60 percent of the Venice shop’s rare bottles — mostly Burgundy and Bordeaux wines — were taken during the heist. Some of the more notable wines taken include a $500 Sauternes from Château d’Yquem and a magnum of Giuseppe Quintarelli valued at over $3,000. Lincoln Fine Wines owner Nazmul Haque told the Los Angeles Times that the loss of his extensive wine collection was both a monetary and emotional blow.
“To lose 10, 15 years’ worth of work overnight is devastating. I’m not sure if I will recover emotionally,” Haque told the Los Angeles Times. “It took me years to build up that collection.”
It’s unclear exactly how many robbers were involved in the theft, but Lincoln Fine Wines buyer Nick Martinelli told NBC that the thieves were aware of the wines’ value and specifically targeted collector bottles. He assumes the stolen wines will be offered to resale retailers and auction houses.
“They knew exactly what to take. They didn’t just jump in and start taking random things,” Martinelli told NBC.
The wine shop is collaborating with the Los Angeles Police Department to review security camera footage and is offering a $10,000 reward for any relevant information.
