This domaine has been a farm since the 17th century, 1673 to be exact. In the 19th century, the owners made the switch to viticulture and in 1924 Félicien Henri Désiré Diffonty, seconded by his son Marius, helped found the syndicate of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Marius' son Félicien created the brand name “Cuvée du Vatican” that was blessed by Pope John XXIII in 1958. Known today as Château Sixtine, the vines of this domaine span 16 hectares in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and 18 in the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages appellation. Today, Jean-Marc Diffonty works the domaine using sustainable methods so as to respect the biodiversity of the soil. The wines are highly sought-after thanks to their finesse and aromatic purity.

Jean-Marc Diffonty lays out his trump cards: "During the harvest, my place is at the sorting table because, as a star chef, I control and select the quality of the various elements that will make up the final dish." Therefore, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre have been carefully sorted before undergoing traditional thermo-regulated vinification with regular pumping-over and fermentation lasting up to three weeks. The wine is aged in barriques, foudres and cement vats for 12 months. It is very dark and adorned with beautiful brilliant reflections. The nose is intense with fine aromas of black and stone fruit. Complex and enticing on the palate, it is dense, smooth and persistent. With its extremely long finish, it ends on velvety notes which allow great pairings with gently stewed red meat.