White tea is the least worked of all teas: buds and young leaves that are simply withered and dried, without rolling or deliberate oxidation, which makes it a rare and delicate leaf. It is on this base that Mariage Frères has composed Thé des Signes Singe, the tea of the Year of the Monkey in its collection of the Asian zodiac.

The white tea is enriched with sparkling notes of citrus, mandarin, clementine and orange, and blended with silky accents of safflower. The goji berries, the signature of the collection, add their fruity lift. The declared ingredients are white tea, goji berries, safflower and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. The tea is housed in an artisan box, lacquered and screen-printed in France, in a bright vivid orange whose shape recalls the Temple of Heaven, holding 40 g.

The cup is light, clear and invigorating. The citrus opens, joyful, then the white tea brings its velvety softness and a fine length; the safflower gives a discreet floral touch, the goji berry a fruity edge. The whole is imbued, the house says, with joie de vivre and optimism.

Years of the Monkey: 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028. It is a New Year gift for those born under the sign, and a daytime tea for everyone, to be drunk plain, with a citrus dessert or a light pastry. Infused then chilled, it makes a delicate iced tea.

Allow 5 g for 200 ml of water at 85 °C and five minutes of infusion: white tea calls for a generous measure and soft water. Keep the box closed, away from light. La Boutique du Thé has been the official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999.