Chateau Sixtine, 2017, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Critic Score: 17/20 Jancis Robinson, 93/100 Wine Spectator

Château Sixtine is a wine producer in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation of the Rhône Valley. Félicien Henri Désiré Diffonty founded the estate in 1900 with just 2 hectares (5 acres) of vines. Since then the Diffonty family have played a significant role in the winemaking history of the region, with Félicien and his son Marius Diffonty helping to establish the Syndicat de Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1924. Current proprietor, Jean-Marc Diffonty, has been in charge of the family-owned estate since 1993.

The Grenache grape makes up 60 percent of the château's vineyards, which are divided between three sites: Rayas, La Crau and Barbe d'Asne. Rayas is the largest of the three and consists of approximately 6ha (15 acres) planted mainly to Grenache, first in 1950 and again in 1975. In contrast to the sandy soils of Raya, the 2-ha (5-acre) La Crau vineyard is characterized by its pebbly soils, which sit atop layers of clay and limestone. Here, the Grenache vines sit alongside those of Mourvèdre, whereas in Barbe d'Asne, it is Syrah that occupies the entire 2-ha (5-acre) plot. The vineyards are farmed using only organic agricultural methods and harvested by hand.

In addition to its flagship red and white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines, the château is known for its Manus Dei du Château Sixtine and Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf-du-Pape portfolios. The Cuvée du Vatican label also includes several expressions of red Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages.

Château Sixtine is a family-run property, where the traces of the DIFFONTY family go back to 1673. Today, after 4 generations, Jean Marc DIFFONTY, son of Félicien DIFFONTY who was the mayor of Châteauneuf-du-Pape during 30 years, works of the maintenance of the family traditions since 1990. Located between Orange and Avignon, in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Château Sixtine extends on 15 hectares. Here, 5 grape varieties dominate: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre for red, Roussanne and Clairette for white. Jean Marc DIFFONTY, has given a new boom to the domain, bringing modernity and elegance, to propel Château Sixtine to the rank of the biggest names of the Appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape.