Brazil
Montanhas do Espirito Santo
Elzio Sartori
Sítio Raio de Luz
Red Catuai
Pulped Natural
June–August
Chocolate, Caramel, Jam
943 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Elzio Sartori is a fourth generation coffee producer operating Sítio Raio de Luz in the city of Castelo, Espírito Santo, Brazil. He learned the trade working alongside his father, José Sartori, assisting in the operations around José’s fields. Today, he applies the many lessons he learned from his father, adhering to selective harvest of the coffee cherries and drying coffee on a covered patio and raised beds.
In 1989, Elzio married Maria Aparecida Dalvi and acquired the land that she had inherited from her family, Sítio Raio de Luz. The property covers 27 hectares total and includes 17 hectares of coffee production. Elzio grows Catuai and Catucai variety coffee, and uses both Natural and Pulped Natural processing for different lots.
This lot of Red Catuai coffee underwent Pulped Natural processing. Catuai was developed by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil by crossing Mundo Novo and Caturra varieties. Catuai coffees are cultivated widely across Brazil, and are known for their high productivity potential.
The Montanhas do Espírito Santo region is dominated by small-scale coffee-growers and is characterized by the presence of farmers who are actively engaged in the entire chain of the production process. Growers in Espírito Santo work with family members and build off of traditional knowledge to innovate and improve their quality of life and coffee.
Located in the southern area of the Espírito Santo state, where mild temperatures (73ºF) and steep highlands (between 700 and 1,000 meters) favor growing Arabica coffees, this region produces a superb quality coffee with a round body, nice acidity, and fine sweetness. While the most common process for the region is Natural, Pulped Naturals are increasing in popularity due to a program of quality launched in the 1980’s that included improvements in equipment necessary for this newer style of processing.
The state of Espírito Santo has its capital in the city of Vitoria, and the coastal location of Espírito Santo to the south of Bahia, east of Minas Gerais, and North of Rio de Janeiro makes it a popular destination for its beaches. Inland, Espirito Santo is home to natural parks and preserves that protect the rich diversity of flora and fauna. Many communities in the mountains of Espírito Santo were settled at the beginning of the twentieth century by European immigrants from Italy and the Pomeranian region along the Baltic Sea coast, straddling the border between what are now Germany and Poland.
