History & Origins
Fazenda Santa Inês is owned by the Sertão Group, a family firm with more than 100 years history in the production and commercialization of high-quality coffee. The Sertão Estate, located in Carmo de Minas, South Minas Gerais, was inherited by José Isidro Pereira and Nazareth Dias Pereira and is now managed by their sons and in-laws.
When the farm was acquired by the Sertao Group in 1979 it was already planted in coffee.
In 1967, Isidro Pereira bought their first farm; by 1979, sons José Isidro and in-laws took over Fazenda Santa Ines, a pre-planted 215-hectare spread. Facing Carmo’s quality woes—overripe cherries, uneven drying—they hired agronomists, planted Yellow Bourbon pioneers, and built concrete patios, washers, and dryers.
At the time the family took over management at Santa Ines, the Carmo de Minas region was experiencing problems with quality. The family hired experts to help improve quality, they introduced new harvesting/processing techniques, and they also implemented the newest farm technology available.
Soon thereafter work began on planting more fields, building new concrete drying patios, and installing a washer, dryer, and processing machine.
Since making these changes, the coffees from Santa Ines have stood out in regional and national contests: In 2005, a sample from Fazenda Santa Ines won first place in Cup of Excellence Brazil, with a world-record 95.85 score. The gamble paid off: By 2005, a Santa Ines lot shattered records with a 95.85 Cup of Excellence score, catapulting the farm (and Carmo) to stardom.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
Fazenda Santa Ines is located in the municipality of Carmo de Minas in southern Minas Gerais at the foot of the Mantiqueira mountains.
This 215-hectare estate, cradled at the foot of the Mantiqueira mountains, is a cornerstone of Brazil’s specialty scene—one of the original “Carmo Coffees” farms, where rolling hills, fertile red soils, and mild microclimates (around 22°C year-round) yield some of the world’s most celebrated Arabica.
The region is well known for its mineral water springs, perfect combination of latitude and altitude, mountainous terrain, well-defined seasons and fertile soil.
Elevation: 900–1050 MASL. These mid-high slopes temper ripening with cool nights and gentle days, concentrating sugars for that cocoa-fruit harmony without sharp edges.
Mantiqueira’s red basaltic soils and 1,500–1,800 mm rains (November–March) yield dense cherries; naturals preserve that, while elevation softens acidity for approachable warmth.
Carmo is one village among twenty in the Mantiqueira region, south of the Minas Gerais county, in Sul de Minas. In the same way that Burgundy is an important name in the French world of wine, Carmo de Minas has become a destination in the Brazilian coffee world.
Processing & Production
Because of the topography, harvesting at Fazenda Santa Ines has always been done by hand, the cherries being collected on a cloth. This precaution is taken so that the coffee will not be contaminated or lose its quality.
When: Rains taper by April in Sul de Minas, ripening cherries for May–August— a crisp dry spell (humidity dipping to 60%) that lets fruit swell with sugars at 900–1050 MASL, where diurnal swings (warm days, cool 15°C nights) build balanced density. Whole-Fruit Drying: Spread thin (2–3 cm) on raised concrete patios or African beds, raked 4–6 times daily under May’s fierce sun. The intact skin ferments lightly over 10–21 days, sugars seeping into the bean for cocoa depth and fruit whispers—humidity monitored to avoid defects, with night covers preventing dew.
Once they are picked, the cherries are taken to Fazenda do Sertao, another partner in the Sertao Group, where they are washed, pulped, and spread out, always with a view to obtaining a high-quality product.
Mechanical Finish: Once at 35–40% moisture (cherry shrivels), transferred to static-bed dryers (slow heat, 35–40°C) for 3–5 days, hitting 11–12% for stability. This hybrid guards against rain risks in Minas’ variable weather. Resting & Milling: Parchment hulled after 30–60 days’ rest in ventilated sheds, then graded by density/size at CarmoCoffees’ mill—export-ready via Santos, 1,000+ km southeast.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Fazenda Santa Ines is a very sweet, bright coffee with hints of lemon and clove. Nice fruit penetration, more than most naturals from Brazil. The citrusy character is very striking, but it possesses a delicate texture and a layered, complex taste. Very aromatic, with chocolaty body, a creamy mouthfeel, and a long, sweet finish.
Cupping Notes: Cocoa and fresh fruit flavors with balanced acidity and sweetness—a cozy, rounded profile with chocolate depth and subtle berry brightness, thanks to its Yellow Bourbon roots and the natural method’s gentle fruit embrace.
This coffee is boldly fruity and reminiscent of some anaerobic processes, although we are told classic natural processing was done. Flavors are big and bold with lots of jammy fruit, notably blackberry. The finish is long and mouth coating. Complex concentrated fruit flavors that are clean and pure are hallmarks of this cup.
This coffee is perfect for brewing as drip to enjoy the mellow, rich cup with notes of walnuts, raisins and soft citrus acidity. Soft brightness reminiscent of stone fruits. The natural processing method particularly enhances the estate’s Yellow Bourbon and Red Bourbon cultivars, allowing their inherent sweetness and complexity to fully develop through careful fruit-contact drying that creates the signature Brazilian natural profile sought after by specialty coffee roasters worldwide.