Cupping Notes: Purple Fruits, Whiskey, Spices, Cocoa, Caramel, Malt
Cupping Score: 90.00
Country: Brazil
Producer: Claudio Nakamura
Varietals: Red Catuai
Altitude: 900-930 MASL
About the farm
The Nakamura family’s story began in 1929 when they came from Japan to Brazil looking for better living and working conditions. Initially settling in the municipality of Bastos, in São Paulo state's highlands, they dedicated themselves to agriculture, cultivating various types of cereals and cotton. In the 1940s, they moved to Londrina in the state of Paraná and started growing coffee. After a severe frost in 1975, part of the family moved to the Mogiana Paulista region searching for a new path in coffee farming. In 1986, seizing an opportunity to buy a property in the Chapada de Minas, Cláudio and his wife Elvia moved there aiming to make a living from coffee cultivation, and this was where the story of Fazenda Nakamura began. They spent several years preparing the land, observing all environmental standards before starting planting coffee seedlings. The farm covers a total area of 250ha with 60ha dedicated to coffee cultivation, 50ha of regenerative forest, and 100ha of preservation areas. The region is a transition area from Atlantic Forest to Cerrado, and for the coming years, they are looking to implement irrigated areas since drought is a challenge. They have struggled due to the climate, especially because of the dry weather and lack of rain. Along with that, there was a drop in coffee prices from the first harvests, but they overcame all these challenges. There has always been great collaboration, partnership, and understanding from the local community and neighbors in the region, who saw in coffee farming an opportunity for life change. They prioritize local labor, and the harvest is done 100% manually without machines, focusing not only on producing the best product but also on aiding the socioeconomic development of the region. During peak harvest years, over 100 collaborators pass through the property, and if Cláudio has his way, the harvest will continue in this manner for many more years to come. All management practices are mechanized, which further demonstrates the Nakamura Family's commitment to the socioeconomic development of the region. One of the differentials in the region is the uniform maturation of the grains, as there is only one flowering; the harvest starts in mid-June and ends between August and September. Another important factor about the quality is the fermentation techniques used by them, which improve every year; after passing through the washer, the coffees are left in sealed barrels for 10 days, intensifying aromas and flavors. With a focus on sustainable development, they are using photovoltaic energy to meet the entire farm's demand.
About the region
Chapada de Minas
The Chapada de Minas is a region that captivates with its natural beauty and cultural wealth, serving as a stage for a new frontier in the production of high-quality coffee. Coffee farming gained strength in the 1970s when the region proved resilient to climatic adversities that affected other areas of the country. Capelinha, a key city in this coffee landscape, stands out for its favorable microclimate and ideal altitudes for the production of distinctive coffees. Founded in 1913, the city is home to a community that lives and breathes the tradition of coffee, contributing to the unique identity of the beans produced in the Chapada de Minas.