The Wine Tipster was very fortunate to be invited to a dinner at Ormer Mayfair at the famous Flemings Hotel in London. The event was hosted by an old friend Jean-Noel Girard, who is the charming Export Director for Champagne Devaux where he has worked for over 20 years. He was joined by Laureline Perraudeau, Brand Ambassador for W.G.White, purveyors of Caviar & Fine Food. They were treated to a fantastic menu created by Shaun Rankin who incorporated caviar into each dish which was in turn carefully paired with a Devaux champagne.

The apéritif, Cuveé D was paired with Jersey Royals and Royal Tradition Caviar, Ultra D in Magnum was served with Royal Oscietra. My top caviar pairing was the Sevruga caviar with the Turbot and cauliflower and Sténopé 2009 magnum.

The origins of Champagne Devaux date back to the 19th century. Founded in 1846 by brothers Jules and Auguste Devaux, the house was then managed by three inspiring women who led the family winery with remarkable energy and talent in equal measure. Originally located on the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, their home is now a stunning 18th century Manoir House on the banks of the river Seine. The vineyards are located in The Côte des Bar, south of the Champagne appellation between Bar-sur-Seine and Bar-sur-Aube, which are ideal for Pinot Noir.

Their latest project is a collaboration with Michel Chapoutier bringing together two wine regions to inspire one another. This vision – capturing the very best portrait of a season – is the inspiration behind the name Sténopé. The result is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to create the best representation of a specific year. The Sténopé 2009 served from magnum was stunning, a champagne with great elegance, toasty character, depth and length of finish.

The Sténopé once again shows what a fine Champagne house Devaux is and why they should still be reaching a wider audience as their Extra-Brut Ultra D served from magnum clearly illustrated. Not every Champagne producer achieves an engaging style with Extra-Brut and taste this after you have tried their superb non-vintage Cuvée D. Vintage champagnes are wonderful and yet remain an occasional experience for many and The Wine Tipster recommends D Millésimé 2006, a lovely wine to enjoy now. 2006 remains an underrated year, alongside the more publicised 2002 and 2004 vintages, yet it is year that provides beautiful, expressive fruit character and the D Millésimé 2006 with its low dosage of six grams watch an excellent match with the Camembert.

Established over 120 years ago, W.G. White was the first company to import caviar to the U.K and now supply some of the top restaurants and hotels in London. Laureline taught me more about caviar than I had ever heard before, and with all of Jean-Noel’s knowledge, it made this a fascinating evening. Stunning caviar and very innovative work by W.G. White.

Massive thanks to Laureline, Jean-Noel, the team at Ormer Mayfair and to Shaun Rankin for a fabulous evening.

The Wine Tipster presented a Champagne Masterclass at the Aston Wine Club for the first time last night and we all had a marvellous evening.

Our Champagne journey included Bruno Paillard’s high class Premiere Cuvée NV, £49.99, Selfridges; Pommery’s Brut Royal NV, which was delicious and creamy £39.95, Harrods, www.vrankenpommery.co.uk and the delicate, Canard-Duchéne Cuvée Léonie Rosé NV, £32.00, The Wine Library, Richard Granger Fine Wines.

In terms of vintage, Autréau’s impressive, well-priced, full flavoured Autréau Cuvée Prestige Les Perles de la Dhuy Grand Cru Millésime 2005, £35.99, www.simplywinesdirect.com is why you need to have vintage champagne on your Christmas list.

Of course you should have a prestige cuvée available too and Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque 2004, £120.00-£130.00, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, is a stunning champagne from a beautiful vintage.

Very pleased to see members of the Thame Players Theatre last night and looking forward to our gig on March 21st 2014.

Big thanks to Aston Wine Club and look forward to seeing you on 21st November 2014!