High End Wine Thief Wanted in Several States Arrested

January 15, 2016 – Scott Deluca, dubbed the “Bordeaux Bandit” was arrested last week in Smithfield, R.I. He is wanted in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for stealing very expensive bottles of wine. According to Lettie Teague’s report in The Wall Street Journal, his loot included a 1990 Château Pétrus, a 2005 Château Mouton Rothschild, a 2010 Château Mouton Rothschild, a 2009 Château Lafite Rothschild. And multiple bottles of Opus One.

Deluca is 25 years old but he seems to know his wines. Among the top-tier Bordeaux he pilfered was one valued at $1,400 and another at $999. His M.O. was quite sophisticated. For example he visited the Octagon restaurant in the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa to make a dinner reservation and said he wanted to pick out some wine. He went into the rare wine room and made off with a bottle of 1990 Château Pétrus valued at $4,800.

So far, the fate of the wines is unknown. Did he or someone else drink them? Are they in somebody’s cellar or have they made it back on the shelf in some retailer or restaurant? We’ll let you know when we find out.