Wine heist of top Tuscans

Thieves have struck one of Italy’s most prestigious wine estates, Antinori, stealing 30,000 bottles worth an estimated €5 million. The haul includes sought-after Super Tuscans from the acclaimed 2023 vintage.

Seven masked intruders broke into Marchesi Antinori’s logistics warehouse in Cortona on 5 October, bypassing security systems and using the facility’s own forklifts to load two getaway trucks. The stolen wines were exclusively premium labels: Tignanello, Solaia and Guado al Tasso.

Antinori chief executive Renzo Cotarella believes it could be the largest wine theft in Italian history. Around 10,000 bottles of Solaia were taken, a significant loss for a wine with annual production of just 50,000 bottles and a retail price of approximately €300.

Some of the stock was awaiting shipment to Bordeaux négociants, with other consignments destined for the US and international markets. The estate has warned trade partners to beware of suspicious offers outside authorised distribution channels.

The robbery follows a similar break-in at Piedmont’s Conterno Fantino winery just two weeks earlier, raising concerns about targeted attacks on Italy’s finest wines.