These are very likeable wines and delight every sense. They appear golden and gleaming, occasionally with green highlights. On the nose they give white flowers, hazelnuts and almonds, and when tasted they deliver power but also minerality and elegance. As they develop they bring dried fruits, and richly aromatic underbrush. These wines demand dishes that are delicate, so try fish pie, roast eggplant or even veal dumplings. Light creamy cheeses or those with herbs would suit these wines perfectly.

Pouring a glass of a Cote d’Auxerre red wine is like filling your glass with rubies—intense, deep reds, which also give off raspberry and cherry aromas, with a good amount of minerality. In the mouth they are fascinatingly complex; you get the same red and black fruits but underpinned with liquorice, and all of it supple and silky and perfectly well-rounded. For such smooth wines, choose dishes like chicken, duck or rabbit. As they’re so aromatic, you could also try them with calf’s liver for a truly unctuous combination.