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Cahors with its Malbec (or Cot or Auxerrois) based wines remains one of my personal favourites – and these wines seem to improve year on year. This may be due to competition from South America, especially Argentina, where more overtly fruity and accessible Malbec wines are produced. However for me they lack the depth and intensity which good Cahors can offer. It’s also worth remembering that much of the Cahors vineyard is effectively less than 50 years old – the whole area was devastated by severe frost in 1956 which killed off most of the vines. Much changes in a vineyard in 50 years – vines mature, techniques improve, the best locations are revealed – and as exports increase winemakes have an incentive to strive to produce ever better wines.

You can try for yourself at the Fete du Vin de Cahors (Cahors Wine Festival) to be held at Puy l’Eveque (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) on 9 August 2008 – about 20 miles west of Cahors town on the river Lot. This opens in the Salle des Fetes at 5pm (i.e. after the worst of the heat of the day) and offers visitors the chance to taste the wines of local independent winemakers, but a few bottles (or more) all accompanied by music and a banquet!