The property lies at the end of a twisting sand track in the wild hill country of Salta Province, the remote outback of north-west Argentina. For a time, I seemed to be travelling further and further from anywhere, until suddenly there was an avenue of trees, an archway, a complex of gracious almond-coloured buildings set around a courtyard. My room looked towards the Andes, framed by vineyards and gardens of lavender.
Founded in 1831, Colomé is the oldest continually producing vineyard in Argentina and among the highest in the world at 2,300 metres above sea level, an altitude that would make most French producers dizzy. In 2001, it was bought by Swiss businessman Donald Hess. From a rustic operation, where they still produced their vintages in earthenware jars, Hess transformed Colomé into a world-class winery headed by French winemaker Thibaut Delmotte, showcasing the distinctive characteristics of high-altitude vintages.