In the evening, in the Yangtze valley, people drink a delicate, fragrant black tea: at least, that is what Mariage Frères says of this famous blend, much appreciated by the people along the banks of the great river, and which the house intends for the evening. The Yangtze, or Blue River, crosses China from west to east for more than 6,000 kilometres; the tea that bears its name is, for its part, all gentleness.

The blend combines tea, rose and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. The rose petals, visible in the dry leaf, set the tone: a Chinese black tea, scented with restraint, where the flower highlights the leaf without masking it.

In the cup, the liquor is amber and round. The Chinese black tea gives a supple, woody base with little tannin, and the rose glides over it, tender and slightly powdery, with a soft finish that lingers without imposing itself. This is a scented tea for those who do not like scented teas: discreet, fine, and one that lets you drink several cups in a row.

The house says it is made for the evening, and it is true that it accompanies the end of a dinner well, plain, with a light dessert, rose biscuits, lychees, a fruit salad, or fresh cheese. It is also drunk in the afternoon, and tolerates a splash of milk for those who like it sweeter still.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95°C and five minutes of steeping. Yang-Tsé-Kiang is weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a pouch designed to preserve its perfume. Store it in an airtight tin, away from light and strong odours, so that the rose keeps its freshness.