Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Thiciana Nader Bassitt Marques
Sítio São José
Arara
Natural
July–August
Chocolate, Hazelnut, Clementine
950 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
Thiciana Nader Bassitt Marques began her coffee career working with her mother, Mrs. Flávia Maria Nader Bassitt, who together purchased and took over operations of their Sítio São José in 2021. Thiciana’s grandfather, Dr. Romes Nader, was a renowned coffee producer in Araguari, and his legacy and passion for coffee was inherited by Thiciana and her mother following his passing.
Sítio São José is located in the Araras microregion of Cerrado Mineiro, in the city of Araguari. The 38 hectare property is planted with 10 hectares of Arara coffee, all of which undergoes Natural processing. In the pursuit of quality, Thiciana opts for organic inputs in fertilization whenever possible. She has also implemented pest control practices throughout the farm, prioritizing biological control agents. All of this is done with a commitment to preserving native vegetation and waterways, and the farm has already shown positive responses to Thiciana’s thoughtful practices.
This lot of Arara underwent Natural processing. Arara is a natural cross between Obatã and Yellow Catuai discovered in 1988 in the Parana region of Brazil by an agronomist named Francisco Barbosa Lima. The trees are productive and resistant to both drought and leaf rust, making the variety attractive from an agronomic perspective as well as presenting tasty characteristics in the cup.
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.
