Like a night at the Opera: Mariage Frères describes Opera Rhapsody as a lush composition, rich in singing notes of vanilla and red fruit, which coats the palate with velvety, warm tones like the voice of a tenor. The black case, highlighted in orange and gold, evokes the footlights; it contains 30 traditional round cotton muslin tea sachets, or 75 g.

The base is a white tea, tinted with red beetroot that gives it its rosy reflections. The declared ingredients are white tea, red beetroot and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. White tea, a leaf that is simply withered and dried, gives a soft, light cup that lends itself to indulgent flavours without weighing them down.

The liquor is clear, rosy and velvety. Vanilla opens, warm, then the red fruit gives it a tangy, indulgent note, and the white tea brings its softness and a hint of honey in the background. The finish is long and enveloping, with no added sugar. This is a flavoured tea of character on a delicate base, which is rare.

It is drunk plain, in the afternoon, and goes with a red fruit tart, a strawberry fraisier, vanilla macarons or a crème brûlée. Infused and then chilled, it makes a rosy, indulgent iced tea.

Allow one muslin sachet per 200 ml of water at 85°C and seven minutes of steeping: white tea needs soft water and time. The cotton lets the leaf unfurl freely. Keep the case closed, away from light and odours. La Boutique du Thé has been the official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999, in its shops in Bordeaux and Nice.