A Christmas Day robbery at Yountville’s storied French Laundry restaurant netted a king’s collection of fabulous wines worth at least $300,000. 
 
 The thieves, who jimmied a door at the wine room on the property, obviously knew exactly what they were going for. Most of the 76 bottles taken were from the Domaine de la Romanée Conti, including bottles from the fabled Burgundy estate’s Romanée Conti vineyard that are worth at least $15,000 each. 
 
 UPDATE: French Laundry burglary: 'It's only wine,' owner says 
 
 French Laundry chef and proprietor Thomas Keller took to Twitter, asking for help from the wine community in finding the thieves. 
 
 “On Christmas day, The French Laundry was the victim of a robbery. Specific wines of specific value were stolen (DRC & Screaming Eagle). We have complete trust in the authorities leading the investigation, and we welcome any information our community may have regarding the event. 
 
 French Laundry door The French Laundry The splintered door to the wine room at the French Laundry. The splintered door to the wine room at the French Laundry. (The French Laundry) 
 
 “We are confident that if and when any of the stolen bottles appear in public, they will immediately raise questions and red flags among the wine knowledgeable. 
 
 “The French Laundry wine program is, as many of you know, singular and distinct. We look forward to rebuilding our cellar in the meantime and plan to get to the bottom of this disheartening act immediately. 
 
 “Please contact media@tkrg.com with any information.” 
 
 The French Laundry, which just celebrated its 20th birthday this summer, is acknowledged to be one of the greatest restaurants in the world. It's one of only 13 in the United States that have earned three stars from the Michelin restaurant guide. Another is its East Coast sibling, Per Se. 
 
 The French Laundry in Yountville. Eric Risberg / Associated Press The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif. The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) 
 
 In a statement Tuesday morning, Keller added: “We are working with local law enforcement in this ongoing investigation and appreciate any information the community may have that could help us identify the offenders. We look forward to rebuilding our cellar and moving forward with The French Laundry’s kitchen remodel.” 
 
 Most of the wines taken were highly collectible and trade mostly on the private and auction markets. Prices fluctuate, but a rough value can be estimated from an analysis of similar bottles listed for sale at retail on the Wine Searcher website. 
 
 Retail prices, of course, are only a fraction of what the wines would sell for on a restaurant wine list. Typical restaurant mark-ups are two to three times retail, and with rare wines can be even higher. 
 
 Among the most valuable wines taken were bottles of DRC Romanée Conti from the vintages spanning 2004-2010, which range in price at retail from $11,000 to $15,000 per bottle. There were bottles of DRC’s La Tache from 1993 to 2010, which range in price from to $2,100 to $4,500 each. 
 
 The thieves also took several bottles of California cult Cabernet Sauvignon Screaming Eagle, with prices ranging from $2,100 to $7,500. 
 
 The French Laundry had just served its last meal on Christmas Eve before closing down for as long as six months or more for a complete kitchen remodel. 
 
 Here's a complete list of the wines taken: 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Grands Echezeaux” 2007 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Grands Echezeaux” 2008 
 
 3 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Grands Echezeaux” 2009 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Grands Echezeaux” 2010 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Romanée St. Vivant” 2003 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Romanée St. Vivant” 2005 
 
 3 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Romanée St. Vivant” 2006 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Romanée St. Vivant” 2007 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Romanée St. Vivant” 2008 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Romanée St. Vivant” 2009 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Romanée St. Vivant” 2010 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Richebourg” 1988 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Richebourg” 2002 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Richebourg” 2005 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Richebourg” 2006 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Richebourg” 2008 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Richebourg” 2009 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “Richebourg” 2010 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 1993 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 1996 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 1999 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2002 
 
 1 bottle Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2004 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2005 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2006 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2007 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2008 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2009 
 
 2 bottles Domaine de la Romanée-Conti “La Tâche” 2010 ||||| Update, 12/31: The Chronicle’s full news story is here. 
 
 *** 
 
 On Christmas Day, an unknown visitor allegedly broke into the French Laundry. But rather than just eat some cookies, the intruder — or intruders — made off with some of the four-star restaurant’s most expensive wines. 
 
 The restaurant — which closed for its long-awaited kitchen remodel on Saturday — released the below statement tonight. Thomas Keller tweeted out an abbreviated version as well. 
 
 On Christmas day, The French Laundry was the victim of a robbery. Specific wines of specific value were stolen (DRC & Screaming Eagle). We have complete trust in the authorities leading the investigation, and we welcome any information our community may have regarding the event. We are confident that if and when any of the stolen bottles appear in public, they will immediately raise questions and red flags among the wine knowledgeable. The French Laundry wine program is, as many of you know, singular and distinct. We look forward to rebuilding our cellar in the meantime and plan to get to the bottom of this disheartening act immediately. Please contact media@tkrg.com with any information. 
 
 No further details are available at this point, according to the restaurant. This post will be updated accordingly. 
 
 Also, the French Laundry would not confirm exactly which bottles were stolen, or how many. Screaming Eagle is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa; Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is an estate in Burgundy. For those curious about the general price point of the wines in question, here are the restaurant’s prices for bottles of those labels, from its online wine list: 
 
 Screaming Eagle 2002 $6500 
 
 Screaming Eagle 2010 $3500 
 
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1988 $5750 
 
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1998 $3950 
 
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1999 $7950 
 
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2007 $3250 
 
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2008 $3500 
 
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2009 $4500 
 
 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2010 $3950 
 
 This is the restaurant’s damaged door: 
 
 A photo posted by The French Laundry (@_tfl_) on Dec 12, 2014 at 6:06pm PST 
 
 
 
 
 
 Update, 12/30, 9:10 a.m.: 
 
 In total, 76 bottles have been reported missing. These are the bottles: 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Grands Echezeaux 2007 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Grands Echezeaux 2008 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Grands Echezeaux 2009 3 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Grands Echezeaux 2010 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee St. Vivant 2003 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee St. Vivant 2005 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee St. Vivant 2006 3 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee St. Vivant 2007 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee St. Vivant 2008 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee St. Vivant 2009 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee St. Vivant 2010 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Richebourg 1988 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Richebourg Grand Cru 2002 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Richebourg 2005 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Richebourg 2006 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Richebourg 2008 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Richebourg 2009 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Richebourg 2010 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 1993 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 1996 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 1999 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tâche Grand Cru 2002 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 2004 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 2005 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 2006 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 2007 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 2008 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 2009 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la La Tache 2010 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2004 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2005 1 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Grand Cru 2006 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2007 3 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2008 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2009 2 
 
 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2010 2 
 
 Mugnier Jacques-Frederic Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale 750 2005 2 
 
 Mugnier Jean-Jacques-Frédéric Nuits-St. Georges Clos de la Maréchale 750 2008 2 
 
 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1992 1 
 
 Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1995 1 
 
 Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1998 1 
 
 Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1999 1 
 
 Screaming Eagle Cabernet 2010 1 
 
 Moet & Chandon Champagne Brut Grand Cru Cuvée Dom Perignon 1500 2004 5 
 
 · Previously: The French Laundry readies for its remodel, temporary closure and more [Inside Scoop] ||||| A former personal assistant who was about to plead guilty to ripping off his ex-boss — the multi-millionaire head of Goldman Sachs — leaped to his death from the Carlyle Hotel Tuesday as his lawyers waited for him in court. 
 
 Nicolas DeMeyer, 41, jumped from the 33rd floor of the famed hotel on East 76th Street at Madison Avenue around 2:30 p.m., authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 
 
 Hotel staff had been alerted by his sister that he was sending alarming texts saying he might kill himself over the case, police sources said. When security forced open his door, he was naked and sitting on the window sill. 
 
 He smiled at them and then jumped, sources said, his body striking a 17th floor balcony with such force that half of him landed on a terrace two floors below, the sources said. 
 
 At roughly the same time, DeMeyer was scheduled to plead guilty before a Manhattan federal judge to stealing $1.2 million worth of rare wines from wealthy financier David Solomon, who has since become the CEO of the world-famous Wall Street investment firm. 
 
 The feds say DeMeyer used at least some of the money he made from selling the pricey bottles for a 14-month, globe-trotting adventure, including stops in Rome and Casablanca, before he finally got caught at JFK airport in January. 
 
 The feds say DeMayer, an art history major, had been working as Solomon’s household assistant helping to shuttle the Wall Streeter’s vintage vino from Manhattan to his massive wine cellar in 
 
 East Hampton when he concocted a scheme to steal as many of 500 bottles. 
 
 Among the bottles he stole and resold under a pseudonym were seven bottles of wine from the French estate Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, “whose wines are widely considered among the best, most expensive, and rarest wines in the world” and which had been previously purchased for $133,650, according to court papers. 
 
 Those bottles were so rare, they exposed DeMeyer when a Napa Valley art dealer traced them back to Solomon and tipped him off to the theft, the feds said. 
 
 Meyer, who was born Nickolas Meyer and later added the “de” to his name, then confessed his crime to the Solomons at the Greenwich Hotel in 2016 before hopping on a plane to Rome, the feds said. “He said he was scared, and he couldn’t go to prison, that’s why he left,” prosecutor Justin Rodriguez told the judge following his arrest last year. 
 
 He faced as much as 10 years in prison on one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. It’s unclear how much time he might have faced under a plea deal. 
 
 DeMeyer’s defense lawyer Sabrina Shroff looked upset while speaking on the phone Tuesday when her client failed to show up in court. The judge then cancelled the hearing following a closed-door meeting with Shroff and a prosecutor without saying why or whether the hearing might be rescheduled. 
 
 DeMeyer had been released from federal detention after his arrest on a $1 million bond secured by $200,000 in cash and his mother’s home in Findlay, Ohio, where he was staying. He had been scheduled to arrive in New York on Friday, ahead of his expected plea. 
 
 His mother, Jane Rettig, did not pick up the phone at her Findlay, Ohio, home on Tuesday. 
 
 Asked about his former assistant’s tragic end, David Solomon issued a statement. “Mary and I are deeply saddened to hear that Nicolas took his own life,” he said. “He was close to our family for several years, and we are all heartbroken to hear of his tragic end.” 
 
 Additional reporting by Tina Moore and Sydney Denmark
– Burglars who knew their wine made off with nearly 80 bottles from a high-end California restaurant. How high-end? Figure at least $300,000 worth of vino, reports the Los Angeles Times. The break-in occurred Christmas Day at the Michelin-starred French Laundry in the Napa region, and some of the bottles taken—specifically those from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti—are worth around $15,000. Chef and proprietor Thomas Keller asked the wine community via Twitter to keep an eye out for the stolen bottles. The restaurant had closed the previous night ahead of a renovation that's expected to take about six months, and thieves simply jimmied open the door to the wine room to collect their loot. You can see the full list of the 76 bottles stolen at the San Francisco Chronicle's Inside Scoop blog.