The case centered on several wine vineyard land parcels created in 2017 by the defendants, with investors expecting regular returns from wine production, though the court ultimately did not uphold these returns as a basis for fraud charges.

About twenty plaintiffs attended the deliberations, seeking restitution, but the tribunal ruled that repayment was unlikely because creditors or insolvency priorities favored corporate creditors over individual investors.

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Victims expressed disappointment and a sense of misappropriation, highlighting a gap between investors’ expectations and the court’s findings and noting ongoing impact on those who trusted the scheme.

Allegations allege about 2.5 million euros and nearly 560,000 euros were diverted from two vineyard groups to fund personal expenses and transfers to related companies, including around 630,000 euros in fake invoices and about 1.4 million euros evaded in income tax.

In the Belmar estate case at Le Mans, Grégoire Russel and Sidonie Grasset were convicted of abuse of trust but acquitted on fraud charges related to the Château Belmar vineyard project, affecting more than 200 private investors.

The Mans court ruled on August 31, 2026, convicting the defendants of breach of trust while acquitting them on fraud charges in the Château Belmar matter.

One investor, Dominique Cleuet, voiced anger and a sense of injustice after losing 45,000 euros invested in one of the Saint-Longis wine groups created in 2017.

The investor community comprised more than 200 civil parties who bought wine vineyard shares through social shares in several viticultural land groups and were promised six bottles per share annually.

The court indicated investors are unlikely to recover money, holding that the investors were effectively the companies, with assets first allocated to creditors such as Urssaf and state debts, leaving little or none for individual investors.

Overall, more than 200 civil plaintiffs will not receive restitution as the court did not recognize their entitlement to recover funds.

The notary involved was acquitted of fraud tied to the sale of Château Belmar vineyards but was convicted of illegal taking of interests, receiving a one-year prison sentence with probation and a lifetime ban from the notarial profession; this is a separate case from the investors’ claims.