While Brazil remains the world’s largest exporter of green Arabica, it has historically been pigeonholed as a producer of coffees best-suited to blending. To this day, many espresso blends use a Brazilian lot as their “backbone.” However, thanks to changes that began in the '90s, we are now seeing a stunning array of single origin Brazilian lots emerge every year. Increasingly, Brazilian coffees are being sold by region, fazenda (large-scale plantation), or sitio (small-scale farm), showcasing both the quality and variety of coffees that are grown by the South American nation.

Sitio Cachoeirinha is a small, family-led operation in Minas Gerais that, unlike the sprawling, flat plains often associated with Brazilian coffee, is perched on steep mountain slopes. This terrain makes mechanical harvesting impossible, necessitating a hands-on approach to picking and sorting. The high altitude creates a cooler microclimate that is highly-favoured by the Topázio variety of Arabica. There, the cherries ripen slowly, allowing for a longer development. To highlight that complexity, the cherries were processed with an extended fermentation.

Our friends at Rosetta Roastery took a progressive approach in lightly developing the roast profile of this coffee. The gentle approach preserves the nuances of the Topázio variety. It is a stellar example of Rosetta’s knack for sourcing hard-to-find, high-quality Brazilian specialty lots.

Phaedon's tasting notes

I was fond of Rosetta Roastery's last Sitio Cachoeirinha lot and I'm no less fond of this one. This is not your run-of-the-mill Brazilian coffee. It's quite complex and quite delicious. There is definitely a subtle and sweet nutty flavour in the cup, but there is also a bright, fruity acidity that sometimes reminded me of oranges and sometimes of berries. It has a lovely lingering flavour, and works wonderfully well in all kinds of filter brew methods like an AeroPress, pour-over, or even a siphon. It's balanced without being in the least bit boring and offers plenty for the thoughtful coffee-lover to ponder.

Rosetta’s notes

• Style: Progressive
• Flavour: Clean & gentle, passion fruit sorbet, almond nougat

“Topázio, a variety prized across Cerrado Mineiro and Sul de Minas for its balance of quality, yield, and resilience, rewards attentive roasting. Processed as an extended fermentation, this lot unveils a fruit-driven, lactic sweetness, with notes of guava and passion fruit yogurt, that redefine Brazil’s classic chocolate–caramel identity. A low charge temperature and gentle, extended roast time preserve its delicate fruit nuance, creating a cup that’s sweet, layered, and elegantly balanced.”

Coffee details from Rosetta

“Produced by Marcelo Cury in the Cerrado Mineiro region of Minas Gerais, Sitio Cachoeirinha Natural reflects a meticulous, progressive approach to coffee farming. At 980 - 1050m ASL, the farm’s fertile soils and stable microclimate provide ideal growing conditions for the Topázio variety. With 16 of its 17.7 hectares dedicated to coffee production, Marcelo manages every detail, from harvest timing to his approach to extended fermentation naturals, with precision and sustainability in mind. The result is a cup that balances gentle acidity with refined fruit sweetness, showcasing both technical intent and regional character.”

• Altitude: 980 - 1050m ASL
• Processing: Natural, extended fermentation
• Variety: Topazio
• Harvest: 2024
• Region: Araguari, Cerrado Mineiro, 
• Country: Brazil
• Producer: Marcelo Cury 
• Farm: Sítio Cachoeirinha