Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022

Sumptuous Châteauneuf 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. That’s 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 Cuvée du Vatican label with the blessing of the Pope. Jean-Marc is an ambitious winemaker, keen to retain the excellent reputation of his Châteauneuf estate. His wines display extraordinary ripeness and concentration, also elegance and freshness. Decant and serve with roast lamb or an aromatic, herby ratatouille.