Brasil Rio Brilhante
The Farm
Ignacio Urban founded the Rio Brilhante farm in 1980 with the firm decision to become a producer in the famous coffee-growing region of Cerrado Mineiro. He started with 20 hectares to, as he says, “see what it’s like,” surrounding himself with specialized agronomists to learn more about coffee cultivation. Over the past 40 years, he has acquired more land and planted more quality varieties such as Arara. Today, his two children, Erika and Fernando, also work with him.
Fazenda Rio Brilhante is located in a microregion called Pântano, in the renowned Cerrado Mineiro region. Pântano is well known for its climate, which is very favorable for producing quality coffee. The flat terrain allows for a different cultivation method than coffee trees grown on the mountain slopes. The trees can grow up to 3 meters tall, which is unusual.
Varietal
The Arara varietal is a natural genetic mutation between Obatá and Catuaí Amarillo. It is one of the most distinguished varieties in Brazil, considered the “Gesha of Brazil” for its highly complex flavor in the cup. This is why we can see this variety ranked first in competitions organized by the SCA of Brazil.
Process method
The cherries are hand-picked and placed in covered barrels for 48 hours. Therefore, the fermentation is anaerobic because it is airless. The cherries are then dried for 21 days on cement patios before being removed and placed in wooden barrels for 15 days.
The farm is planning to invest in raised pallets to improve cup results.
Origin
The expansion of the Brazilian railway system reached Sur de Minas in 1884, although coffee production only became significant in the first decades of the 20th century. In 1939, the expansion of coffee growing established this area as the main producer in the region. Today, more than 50% of Brazilian coffee comes from Minas Gerais-producing areas. Sur de Minas is the main region, accounting for approximately half of the region’s production.
The Vertentes region was unknown to coffee growing until recently and therefore has no coffee tradition. However, the high altitude of its mountainous terrain and fertile soil allowed the coffee trees to adapt quickly. The first quality assessment, conducted in 2015, identified a cup of coffee with an intense yellow fruit flavor.
The farm is located near Tiradentes and the Carretera Real, well known for gold mining in the 18th century. It is a region with a warm climate during the day and cold at night with dark red acidic soil.
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