Naming a favourite is a bit of a specious exercise, of course, comparing chalk with cheese. Rather like saying Beethoven is better than Bach or Wagner superior to Verdi.

But I believe the taste of fine white Burgundy, dry and elegant, takes some beating.

And if the summer gets hotter and hotter, what better than a cool glassful out in the garden, under a cloudless blue evening sky?

Even though in my case the local flying insect population seems to have an unerring knack of ending up wallowing around in the glass.

Chardonnay is the classic grape of white Burgundy, but seriously different to many New World versions, even though some of these can be very appealing in their own right.

I recommend Louis Jadot 'Les Climats' Chardonnay Reserve 2004 (13.5 per cent, from £16.99, Threshers, independent retailers and www.everywine.co.uk).

'Climats' are specific vineyard sites, and every year Jadot winemaker Jacques Lardiere selects individual parcels and blends them - maintaining that the final result represents the best of the region from that vintage.

In this case, the result is a stylish and well-balanced wine, with hints of oak and cobnuts.

Excellent for fish and poultry, and particularly for savouring on its own.

The makers say it will continue to evolve for another five years or more.

Lovers of white Burgundy sometimes get confused over the prefix shared by one of the most famous, Pouilly-Fuisse, with Pouilly-Fume.

I am fond of both, but the Loire's gooseberry, herbaceous Pouilly-Fume, 100 per cent sauvignon blanc, should not be mixed up with the rich, aromatic white Burgundy.

Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse 2007 (13 per cent, from £13.99, Tesco, Sainsbury, and www.everywine.co.uk), named after the villages of Pouilly and Fuisse, is a complex, subtle blend of hazelnuts, almonds and citrus fruits, with a shiny, greenish, pale gold colour.

A glass by itself is a real summer treat, but it would successfully accompany sea-food or poultry.

It would also go well with snails - the large, white French variety - a dish I rather like to prepare myself, mashing up garlic, parsley and butter and cramming it into the shells.

I have just retasted another white Burgundy I recommended for snails for a piece written by a colleague a few weeks ago, and I am including it in this small selection - this time as an example of a classy French white for around a tenner.

Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2007 (13 per cent, £9.99, Tesco, Sainsbury, Thresher and independent retailers) combines fruit from Cote d'Or and Maconnais vineyards.

It has fresh, dry, smooth flavours of Granny Smith apples, with creamy, nutty overtones.

From white Burgundies to red, and two which can be consumed lightly chilled on warm days.

Louis Jadot 'Les Climats' Pinot Noir Reserve (13.5 per cent, from £16.99, independent retailers, www.everywine.co.uk and www.farehamwinecellar.co.uk) is full of vibrant life and character, but with finely-grained layers of flavour.

Excellent for a roast beef Sunday lunch, or good, strong cheeses.

I seem to be going on about snails rather a lot this week, but I have to say this wine would also partner them well, complementing the earthy tang of the molluscs with an earthy touch of its own.

Louis Jadot Bourgogne Couvent des Jacobins Pinot Noir 2006 (12.5 per cent, from £9.99, Tesco, Thresher, independents, www.everywine.co.uk and www.farehamwinecellar.co.uk) is a blend from Cote d'Or and Challonnais.

It has a soft, lightbodied, silky style, with fresh summery tastes like raspberries and English cherries, and touches of spice.

These five wines all live up to Jadot's reputation as Burgundy's finest producer. I really enjoyed tasting them - and I think the garden insects did as well.