Sumptuous Chteauneuf from a Parker-rated family cellar and a difficult, yet high-quality vintage Top critic Robert Parker once said of this domaine that he loved the powerful, rich, in your face style of wine it made. Thats due to the tiny yields Jean-Marc Diffonty ekes out from his meticulously tended vineyards of gnarly old vines. His family trace their winegrowing history back to 1673. They owned just two hectares of vines at the start of the 20th century but steadily built up their holdings and in 1958 launched the Cuve du Vatican label with the blessing of the Pope. Jean-Marc is an ambitious winemaker, keen to retain the excellent reputation of his Chteauneuf estate. His wines display extraordinary ripeness and concentration, also elegance and freshness. Decant and serve with roast lamb or an aromatic, herby ratatouille.