When our friends proved us right
There is a special moment in the journey of a project like Shah Prestige. It is the one where you step outside the circle of founders, open the doors, and say to friends, relatives, and acquaintances: “Taste this. And tell us what you think.” We experienced that moment in Andorra, around a well-chosen table, in a setting that couldn’t have been more perfect.
The venue: 13.5 Wine Bar Andorra
For a caviar tasting, the setting matters as much as the product. And honestly, it’s hard to find better than the 13.5° Wine Bar in Andorra. A place we vetted ourselves—an elegant atmosphere, a culture of exceptional products, and a team that understands what it means to take care of its guests. From the moment we arrived, we knew it was going to be a beautiful evening.
The four Shah Darya caviars on the table
That evening, the full Shah Darya selection was in the spotlight. The four varieties we had chosen during our laboratory tasting day in January—Oscietra Premium, Tsar Imperial Gold, Kaluga Signature, and Beluga Iran—were gathered for the first time before an outside audience.
Accompanied by Ruinart, a champagne of natural elegance whose freshness and fine bubbles pair wonderfully with the roundness of the caviar, we began the tasting. Caviar after caviar, slowly building in intensity, letting each grain express itself, taking the time to savor.
The Kaluga steals the show
While all the caviars received an enthusiastic reception—and we will come back to that—there was a moment in the evening that particularly touched us: the guests’ reaction to the Kaluga Signature.
This caviar has been Mike and Morgane’s favorite since the first day of selection. Those generous brown grains with golden highlights, that marine aromatic depth, that almost indecent length on the palate—we fell in love with it in January and haven’t changed our minds. But seeing eyes widen around the table, hearing the silences that follow the first bites, feeling people searching for their words… it’s a validation of a different kind. More human. More real.
The Kaluga didn’t need to be defended that night. It defended itself.
A clear verdict
What struck us was the unanimity. Not a single caviar left anyone indifferent. Not a single one sparked doubt or reservation. Each found its admirers, its comments, its moments of appreciative silence. Our palates hadn’t lied to us in January—and our guests had just confirmed it with a sincerity that cannot be faked around a table.
That is exactly why we organized this evening. Not to seek validation—we believed in our selection—but to share it. To see others experience what we had experienced a few weeks earlier in that laboratory.
And honestly? It was even better together.
What this evening taught us
Tasting caviar alone or as a couple is an experience. Tasting it in good company, with a fine champagne, in a place worthy of it—that is a whole other dimension. The conviviality, the conversation, the shared pleasure… all of it amplifies the flavors in a way that no technical sheet can capture.
This is at the heart of what we want to build with Shah Prestige: not simply selling exceptional products, but creating moments. Evenings like this one. Memories that stay with you.
And this one, it will stay.
