For many wine enthusiasts, the sweet wines of Sauternes remain one of the great undiscovered pleasures of Bordeaux.

Sauternes is made from the typical Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that are used in the production of classic Bordeaux whites.

However, what makes this particular region special is that Sauternes wine is made from vines that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot.

This particular infection results in the grapes becoming partially raisined, producing highly concentrated sweet wines with flavours distinct from anything else found in Bordeaux, or elsewhere, for that matter.

Christian Seely, the managing director of Axa Millesimes, told the Sunday Telegraph that the sweet wines of Sauternes have not managed to generate the sort of reputation enjoyed by more illustrious neighbours in Bordeaux regions such as Medoc.

"It's true that vins liquoreux (I don't like calling them sweet wines) are unfashionable in one sense," he said.

"People drink them rarely, and there are many wine drinkers who don't know them at all."

Perhaps this is because Sauternes wines have been, in the past, notoriously varied in quality.

Since the growing process involves encouraging a type of rot, the science is not exact. While the Sauternes region has a particular climate that encourages this type of infection, the results are more hit-and-miss than wines produced in other regions of Bordeaux.

However, Mr Seely says that estates are now consistently creating Sauternes wines that are delivering time and time again, yet they remain undiscovered by legions of drinkers.

"I think there's a huge discordance between the image people might have of Sauternes and what's actually happening. The wines being produced today are better than ever," he said.

The premium estate in the region is the world-renowned Chateau d'Yquem.

This particular Bordeaux can be costly and is much sought-after, due to the fact it routinely produces wines of the highest quality.

Recently, a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem 1811 became the most expensive white wine in the world after selling to a private collector at auction.

The £75,000 paid is a reflection of the fact that it comes from the most famous of the "comet vintages" made after the Great Comet passed over the 1811 harvest.

New owner Christian Vanneque plans to display the wine at his new restaurant, the SIP Sunset Grill in Bali, Indonesia, before drinking it in six years time.

Outside of Chateau d'Yquem, however, learning about Sauternes can be like belonging to a secret club, which means there are always fine wines available to enjoy.

As one merchant told the Telegraph: "Unlike other top Bordeaux wines, Sauternes never seem to run out. You can always buy it if you want it."

In addition, the nature of Sauternes wines means that they age excellently.

Sunday Telegraph wine expert Victoria Moore recommends pairing a good Sauternes such as Chateau Rieussec with a rich foie gras or chicken liver pate.

Meanwhile, back at Chateau d'Yquem, despite it still being warm and sunny, winegrowers have already turned their attention to harvesting the 2011 grapes.

Following a period of extremely dry and warm weather in the spring, the rot set in early at the estate and despite early-summer rain and cooler temperatures in July, growers at the estate began picking the grapes last week.

With temperatures now returning to the mid 30s, growers felt they could wait no longer to pick or the grapes would over-ripen.