Chateau de Mercuès - a haven of peace: Richard Esling July 21

As France opens up again after lockdown, so do the hotels, restaurants and wineries. The four-star Chateau de Mercuès in the Quercy region of south-west France, has all three and is thus a wine-loving gourmet’s delight.

Set atop a hill, with stunning views over the majestic river Lot and surrounding vineyards, the chateau is a stone’s throw from the ancient city of Cahors. This is a wine region with 2,000 years of history, where the Malbec grape reigns supreme.

Once one of the prime red grape varieties in Bordeaux, Malbec has found its true home in the Cahors region, producing some outstanding red wines which are now more accessible than 20 or 30 years ago. Named by the British in the Middle Ages as ‘black wine’, they were generally strong, tannic horrors which needed at least 15 years ageing to be drinkable. Modern Cahors wines are somewhat lighter and fruitier, yet still with underlying power and grip. It is also, of course one of the foremost red grape varieties of Argentina, where the hot, dry climate suits the variety to perfection.