Rudy Kurniawan : the biggest wine forger

Rudy Kurniawan, nicknamed Doctor Conti for his passion for Romanée-Conti was considered one of the most important experts in oenology in the world. In fact, he was the biggest wine forger… Discover its history.

Passionate about the world of wine, Rudy Kurniawan finally gave in to the sirens of money. Rudy Kurniawan has owned and tasted many Grands Crus. Lovers of Burgundy and La Romanée-Conti wines, which earned him his nickname Doctor Conti, Kurniawan became the biggest forger, using mixed and trafficked wines to fuel his lifestyle.

The facts went around the world and touched many people in the wine world. In August 2014, Rudy Kurniawan is sentenced by American justice to 10 years in prison for counterfeiting great wines. It’s not less than 30 millions of dollars of great wines that are affected : Romanée Conti, Montrachet, Meursault, Vosne-Romanée and I have some of the most beautiful ...

Catherine Simeon, young producer from Dijon is at the initiative of the documentary retracing the affair and dissecting the very lucrative market for fine wines. " As many, we got wind of the case through the local and then international press. The story seemed incredible to us and we decided to go and meet Laurent Ponsot, the winegrower who flushed out the case. From this meeting was born the idea to do something. "

With the invaluable help of the winemaker of Domaine Ponsot in Morey-Saint-Denis, Catherine Siméon put together a host of disturbing elements. “For four years, we carried out a parallel investigation. We discovered incredible details. It was very intriguing, Rudy Kurniawan had 10 passports therefore a feminine, no one knew where their money came from ... "

You are probably wondering why you chose Jerry Rothwell as a director. According to Catherine Siméon, "Given the extent of the fraud, mainly between France and the United States, we decided to go find an English-language director, Jerry Rothwell. »She explains her choice : "We loved his works and the quirky and ironic tone he could adopt. He quickly accepted the project and embarked on the adventure of 150 %. To tell you all, he is not a great lover of wine at the base. But that's good, I didn't want a director who was too close to our culture. A French, a fortiori Bourguignon, would not have had sufficient distance to process the subject. Was, I was sure there would be a fresh look, almost "naive" about the case. "

It was during the trial of Rudy Kurniawan that Ruben Atlas, a young American director, added to the film crew. "We thought it was smart to pool our strengths. In addition, he knew Jerry’s work and we felt them on the same page. It was real teamwork. And there was work : we went as far as Asia ... "

Such a production does not happen on its own. The Burgundy region has granted financial assistance of 50’000 €. "And it was imperative to find a broadcaster partner to have sufficient funds and the guarantee of going to the screens.. »The film is a real success in Canada : "He's making the buzz over there ! It is being screened in theaters right now, and rooms add sessions. For the moment, we have greatly multiplied by four the sums involved. "

Since 15 years, the vintage wines market has exploded, attracting all lusts, especially that of counterfeiters. Affected by the counterfeiting of its vintages, Laurent Ponsot, Burgundy winegrower of the prestigious Domaine Ponsot in Morey-Saint-Denis, goes to the United States to organize the response. He soon finds himself face to face with a mysterious seller of Indonesian origin : Rudy Kurniawan.

This young man from 23 years presents himself as a rich inherit. It is backed by a large wine house that has grown exponentially, by organizing huge auctions where wines sell for millions of dollars. Laurent Ponsot's investigation progresses and quickly attracts the attention of one of America's biggest collectors, Bill Koch, robbed himself of millions of dollars. Bill hired a private investigator and filed a complaint with the FBI. The winemaker and the collector dismantle the cogs of an incredible manipulation carried out by the improbable specialist, young Rudy, with an incredible palate, in a short time became the protege of Hollywood producers and financial leaders. Behind him, a mysterious network of wealthy Chinese from Indonesia who emptied the coffers of the banks they ran in Jakarta.

This documentary recounting the rise and fall of Rudy Kurniawan, raises many questions in the luxury markets. With film, you will discover the sudden change in a great wine market which is now brewing crazy sums. It is also an opportunity to enter the microcosm of the extremely wealthy lovers of large bottles, both gullible and sympathetic. An edifying reflection on a sector with no regulation and on the fragile criteria that determine the value of a luxury object.

Rudy Kurniawan, past from connoisseur to con artist, leave behind 100 millions of dollars in fake wines lying dormant in cellars around the world. If you are an amateur, just one tip, beware of what you buy !