Brad Pitt has seized back control of the French vineyard he owned with ex-wife Angelina Jolie in the latest twist in the so-called ‘War of the Rosés’.

The Chateau Miraval estate, which produces an award-winning sparkling rosé, is at the centre of a long-running court battle between the pair.

Pitt’s lawyers have accused Jolie of deliberately depriving him of complete ownership and ‘forcing a stranger into [his] family home’ by selling her share of the business to Russian businessman Yuri Shefler.

Now a court in Luxembourg has stripped Mr Shefler’s company of a portion of shares originally gifted to Ms Jolie by Pitt – putting him back in the driving seat.

A source close to the actor said the ruling leaves Schefler, who is head of the Stolichnaya vodka empire, with ‘virtually no say’ in the multi-million-pound business in Provence.

Brad Pitt’s lawyers have accused Angelina Jolie of deliberately depriving him of complete ownership and ‘forcing a stranger into [his] family home’ by selling her share to a Russian businessman

The 1,300-acre Chateau Miraval estate in 2008 prior to the celebrity couple purchasing it as 60-40 partners, with Pitt the majority shareholder

The source added: ‘Brad has fought his corner every step of the way. Shefler and Angelina have clearly underestimated him.’

Pitt and Ms Jolie bought the 1,300-acre Miraval estate in 2008 as 60-40 partners, with Pitt the majority shareholder.

Five years later, he ‘gifted’ an extra 10 per cent to Ms Jolie’s company Nouvel for one euro, making them equals.

But after their acrimonious split in 2016 the estate was at the centre of a $350million (£275million) divorce battle.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt produced their own organic wine from the vineyard

The land around the chateau in southern France is known to produce high quality wine

In 2021, Jolie sold Nouvel to a group controlled by Mr Shefler. Pitt’s lawyers claimed she ‘knew and intended Shefler and his affiliates would try to control the business’.

Now, a court in Luxembourg – where Chateau Miraval’s holding company is based – has stripped Nouvel of the portion of shares gifted by Pitt in 2013, handing control of them to a court-appointed receiver.

Pitt had argued that they were given under the understanding that she would not sell them.

Judge Carole Kerschen ruled it was necessary to end the ‘blockage of decision’ and save the business. A ‘merits hearing’ in around two years is likely to decide that Pitt regain full control of the gifted shares.

Source:https://www.dailymail.co.uk