North of the Cape of Good Hope, in the mountainous regions of South Africa, grows a shrub found nowhere else: rooibos, adapted to poor, acidic soil and a hot, dry climate. Rouge Tea is this red rooibos in its simplest form, plain, with no added flavouring, as Mariage Frères selects it for its gentleness.

Rooibos is not a tea: it does not come from the tea plant, and therefore contains no caffeine. Its needles, once fermented, take on the brick-red colour that gives it its name, and yield a red-amber, clear liquor, low in tannins and free of bitterness. The composition comes down to rooibos, and this plain product contains none of the allergens subject to mandatory declaration.

In the cup, the flavour is very gentle, aromatic and enveloping. There is a naturally sweet roundness, woody and honeyed notes, a hint of vanilla and dried fruit. The house describes it as smooth, warm and festive, and enjoyed from morning to evening, including by children, which is true: it is a cup without reservation, one that can be served to the whole table.

It is drunk plain, or with a splash of milk, which suits it well, or with a spoonful of honey for those who like it more indulgent. In the evening, after dinner, it replaces tea without depriving you of the warmth of the cup. It goes with biscuits, a yoghurt cake or a compote, and also lends itself to an iced preparation, served in a carafe, for hot days.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes' steeping; rooibos does not turn bitter, and a longer infusion simply gives a rounder liquor. Rouge Tea is weighed and packed to order in our Bordeaux and Nice shops, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a packet designed to preserve its taste.