Brazil Maria Helena Competition Winner

Description

Maria Helena Barbosa Brunelli (pictured above, right) is one of those people who both overflows with kindness and commands respect. Within seconds of meeting her, we were awed. She won two categories of the regional competition we attended in Brazil and was the picture of grace in victory.  Maria Helena runs the farm herself after her husband's passing, and her background as a doctor informs her careful attention to detail and extra cleanliness in her working style. This lot of Paraiso varietal was dried on muslin cloths rather than straight on the patio itself. This led to a crisp, clean cup that is rare in Brazilian coffee, with beautiful notes of apricot, lemon, and camomile. We think Maria Helena is a future rockstar producer, and we hope to keep working with her for many years to come! Here's a bit more of Maria Helena's story in her own words:  "We practically started a new story, with no family tradition as it usually happens in coffee farms. We acquired the farm, my husband and me, in 1989, knowing nothing of rural work and agriculture. The farm already had its milk phase, its beef cattle phase and, 13 or 14 years ago, we started with a little coffee area in an experimental fashion. Little by little, we expanded and professionalised not only the coffee cultivation, but also the farm management and we kept the beef cattle processes. We started to preserve the soil, the springs, and the streams that go through the property and the forest. We also planted several trees spread in the free circulation areas and created an orchard, a garden and a yard, making this little world our place of living." Elevation: 850 Meters above Sea Level Varietal: Paraiso Cup score: 85 Price paid per kg: £11.59 Process: Fully natural, cherries are sorted, then dried on muslin cloth