Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Eliton Luiz Ferreira Antunes
Fazenda Congonhas Sape
Topazio
Natural
June–August
Cocoa, Dried Cherry, Black Tea
1120 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Eliton Luiz’s coffee history began as a child when his family left their home in Parana for Minas Gerais with a motivation to build a life producing coffee. His father and grandfather had heard about how promising the area was from friends already established in Serra do Salitre, and so they all set out together for a new adventure.
The initial years for the family were difficult as they worked as coffee harvesters, saving for the first property of their own. Over time though, once the family had established their own farm, their cultivation grew until they were able to produce 10,000 bags of coffee per year.
As Eliton grew up he decided to move away from coffee production for a time, working in various sectors such as sales and logistics. Eventually he found that he was called to coffee however, and at 27 years old he and his wife Lucineide took the bold step of selling their home to invest in coffee cultivation. They purchased six hectares of land initially, and eventually leased another seven hectares to add to their production. As their operation grew and Eliton established himself further as a producer, they were able to sell those original six hectares to purchase the 42 hectare Fazenda Congonhas Sape that Eliton now calls his own.
Eliton and all of his family find motivation in seeing his father still dedicating himself tirelessly to coffee. Coffee is their life, their source of income, and they treat it with care, diligence, and affection. They believe in the quality of the product, leverage the region’s altitude, and rely on agronomists’ support to ensure an exceptional harvest.
This lot of Topazio coffee underwent Natural processing. Topazio is a cross of Mundo Novo and Yellow Catuai first selected by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil in the 1960s. The variety offers high productivity and even cherry maturation, and is especially well-suited for the climate of Minas Gerais state.
The Cerrado Mineiro region, located in northwest of Minas Gerais State, is a world-recognized, high-quality coffee producing origin and became the first Protected Geographical Indication in Brazil in 2005, with full Designation of Origin in 2013. A strong characteristic of this region is its well-defined seasons—a hot, wet summer followed by a pleasantly dry winter. The dry climate during harvest eliminates potential problems with humidity during the drying process.
Minas Gerais is Brazil’s principal agricultural state, and the Cerrado is home to many of the country’s celebrated coffee estates, with expertise in planting, harvesting, drying, and sorting. We love Cerrado coffees for their big body, rich chocolate notes, and velvety texture when pulled as espresso.
Today, the area’s 4,500 farmers produce a combined average of 6 million bags per harvest, with an average of 35 bags per hectare. To reach these production levels, producers had to first adapt to the region’s conditions. Coffee farmers first arrived in Cerrado in the 1970’s, after being pushed out of the state of Parana by frost and out of the state of Sao Paulo by nematodes. They found the soil in Cerrado to be very acidic, which they rectified with the application of calcium to create the healthy soils they enjoy today.
Cerrado coffee farms are cultivated in areas with elevations varying between 800 and 1,300 meters above sea level and are known for consistently producing high quality coffees with a repeatable profile. Independent of farm size, the spirit of professionalism is present throughout Cerrado’s coffee producers. Entrepreneurialism is part of farmers’ DNA, and many producers are second or third generation growers who also hold degrees in agronomic engineering, business management, and administration. While each family narrative is different, Cerrado is characterized by an enterprising attitude.
