Islandic ash hindered Clovis Taittinger from hosting this special Taittinger Dinner at Postres yesterday night. However, we survived finely in the qualified hands of the Postres staff, who had done an excellent job in matching the entire Taittinger range (exluding Comtes de Champagne Rosé) with the courses.

We started, as the house’s (wonderful) habit is, with Comtes de Champagne 1999, which was silky smooth and seductive. Its a vintage to drink relatively early, less firm in acidity.

The finest match of the evening was marinated salmon ”east and west” with Taittinger 2004, that shone with the food. The second course was lobster with a tomato carpaccio and thai-vinegrette served with the lovely Prelude Grand Cru. We also had Roasted duck with Prestige Rosé and Comté Coulant with the single vineyard wine Les Folies de la Marquetterie. The sweet portions were, again, the most problematic with the wines. Demi-Sec went relatively well with the bed of roses. But Nocturne Sec lost to the Chocolate d’Or.

What a night! And we headed for the closing cocktail to the new POP UP Champagne bar at Chez Dominique…