Angelina Jolie sued by Brad Pitt over sale of Miraval shares
Angelina Jolie sells her shares of French winery quietly to Russian Oligarch, Yuri Shefler.
Before linking its destiny to the famous A-List Hollywood Pitt couple, the Provencal estate of Miraval was already rich in history. Located on a site first inhabited in Pre-Roman times, Chateau Miraval has been home to Orsini Prince of Naples and French Jazz pianist Jacques Loussier.
Chateau Miraval hosted a recording studio
Ever the music lover, Loussier installed a recording studio in the grounds in 1977, which turned Miraval into a musical benchmark where countless celebrities like Sting, The Cranberries, Wham, ACDC, Gypsy Kings and Pink Floyd recorded.
In 1993, the property was bought by American Tom Bove, who, luckily for its future owners, modernised the property’s viticulture, creating more appealing, superior produce from its former ‘vins du pays’.
During his ownership, Bove launched Miraval’s first Cuvée, named the Pink Floyd cuvée, which immediately gained success on the Riviera. Tom Bove then decided to lease the property to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2008, when they were looking for a place to give birth to their twins. In 2011, the power couple at the time were seduced by the quality of the Mediterranean lifestyle and exerted their option to buy the styled property as well as the wine business in partnership with winemaker Marc Perrin, founder of www.wineandco.com, the leading French wine online retailer. It was clear that this enchanting oasis was destined to add yet another accolade to its growing résumé and in August 2014, Brangelina tied the knot in the Chateau’s chapel.
As the couple’s love continued to deepen, so did their love for the land with projects flourishing daily. Very quickly, they made use of the exceptional terroir and turned Miraval into a highly lucrative business, unearthing truffles, producing honey, oil, and wine. Very quickly the duo Pitt/Perrin, using the grapes of the land, which include Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle (aka Vermentino), created the iconic Chateau Miraval Rosé, which was named one of the top 100 wines in the world by Wine Spectator magazine.
Sadly in 2016, Jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences and despite the tragic news, the company was hopeful that the couple would set their personal differences aside. However in October 2021, Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group, the leading global ultra-premium spirits and wine company, owned by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, acquired Angelina’s shares of Miraval without Pitt’s consent. Evidently the news came as a surprise her ex-husband, who decided to sue Jolie. This was due an agreement which had been put in place not to sell their respective shares without the other’s consent. Pitt who contributed 60% of the purchase price of the estate has requested a trial by Jury. A not so rosy outcome awaits the owners of the famed rosé Miraval.