The “must of musts” from Mariage Frères, in a red rooibos version: Marco Polo Rouge transposes onto a naturally caffeine-free base the most famous fragrance of the house, those scents of flowers and fruits from China and Tibet that, for enthusiasts around the world, have become a name in their own right.

Rooibos is not a tea: it is a shrub from South Africa whose fine needles, oxidised, give a reddish, sweet infusion low in tannins. The house has given it a fragrance whose recipe remains secret, with a dominant note of red berries. The declared ingredients are red rooibos and aroma; the blend may contain traces of nuts. It carries the Jardin Premier label.

The liquor, a clear mahogany red, is smooth. The red berries set the tone, velvety; the flower follows, then a sweet honeyed, vanilla hint rounds off the finish. The rooibos adds in the background a woody note and a sweetness that owes nothing to sugar.

It is the evening cup for those who love Marco Polo but no longer want caffeine after dinner, and a drink the whole family shares, children included. It is drunk plain or with a cloud of milk that brings out its indulgence, with a red berry dessert, a brioche, a vanilla custard. Prepared in advance and served over ice, with a few raspberries, it makes a fruity summer drink.

Marco Polo Rouge is available as loose leaf, weighed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a pack of 30 round cotton muslin sachets (75 g) and in a black airtight metal tin of 100 g, delivered in its gift box. Allow 2.5 g or one muslin sachet per 200 ml of water at 95 °C, and five minutes' steeping. Keep it closed, away from odours, so that the fruit and vanilla stay clear.