Ebony-coloured leaves, an amber glow in the cup and that scent the house itself calls indefinable, “de Paradis”: Marco Polo Noir Sublime is the Haute Couture version of the most legendary of Mariage Frères teas, a blend that has become famous around the world and that the house presents as an invitation to travel.

The base is a black tea. The secret of the fragrance remains the house’s own, and it evokes notes of fruit and flowers; the legal ingredients list is limited to tea and flavouring, and the blend may contain traces of nuts. It carries the Jardin Premier label.

The liquor is amber, luminous, flavourful. A velvety softness wraps the palate; the fruits open, ripe and fleshy, the flowers extend, and the indulgence renews itself with every sip, says the house. The black tea, supple, gives the whole structure with discreet tannins. You recognise Marco Polo, with extra depth and length.

It is drunk from mid-morning to teatime, plain or with a cloud of milk that brings out its indulgence. It accompanies a brioche, madeleines, macarons, a red fruit tart or a milk chocolate cake; infused and then chilled, it makes a very fragrant iced tea. Devotees of the house will find here a way to go further than the original Marco Polo.

It is available loose leaf, weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a case of 30 traditional round cotton muslin sachets (75 g) and in a black airtight metal tin of 100 g, presented in its gift box. Allow 2.5 g of leaves or one muslin sachet per 200 ml of water at 95 °C, and five minutes of infusion. Reseal carefully after each use, away from coffee and spices, whose odours would quickly settle into a tea this fragrant.