Cerca de Pedras São Benedito Pulped Natural
Bright and sweet with vibrant kumquat acidity. Orange blossom, red apple and butterscotch.
This coffee was produced by our dear friend, mentor and sourcing partner in Brazil, Silvio Leite. As one of the country’s pre-eminent specialty coffee professionals, Silvio has poured every ounce of knowledge he has gained across several decades of work into establishing the vibrant and beautiful Cerca de Pedras, which will carry his legacy on for years to come. As he told us on a recent trip, “Sometimes you plant a tree but it’s not for you, it’s for future generations. My farm is like this; it’s for my daughters, for my team and for Piatã.”
While we have worked with Silvio for many years to source the very best that Brazil produces, we have only recently been able to procure coffee he has grown and processed. In the years he spent developing and pushing his nation’s industry forward, Silvio dreamt of producing his own coffees, a long-held goal he achieved in 2021 following Fazenda Cerca de Pedras’ first harvest. Having built a stellar reputation as an exceptional cupper and astute trader, Silvio’s goal is now to make a name for himself as a producer too — and we’re thrilled to share his efforts with our roasting community.
“This farm comes as a fulfilment of a dream. Having been in the coffee business for over 40 years, the dream of producing my own coffee comes true now with Fazenda Cerca de Pedras.”
Located in the unique coffee-growing region of Piatã, Fazenda Cerca de Pedras extends across five separate plots: São Benedito, Sakura, Beira Rio, Marcolongo and Passagem de Pedras. In 2019, Silvio purchased the original 32-hectare property from his friend Christiano Miranda, who had established it in the 1980s and was already producing some coffee on it. As he described on a recent visit, “[Christiano] is a very dear friend and the farm was already going in the specialty direction. When he sold it to me, they had five hectares planted, and I expanded them to the 6.5 I have now.” At the time, he sought advice from one of Piatã’s most experienced producers, Antônio Rigno (of the multi-award-winning São Judas Tadeu), and following his original investment, Silvio acquired more land nearby under the banner of Cerca de Pedras. Today, the whole property is managed by Kelumon Moreira (of Sítio Canaã), who has become Silvio’s right-hand person in Piatã.
This microlot comes from São Benedito, which sits at 1,270m above sea level. Most of the 8.5 hectares under production at São Benedito are planted with Catuaí, a tried and tested variety that produces good volumes and has great potential for quality in Piatã’s environment. Silvio has also trialed other varieties here, including Arara, Catucaí 2SL, Gesha, SL-28 and Pacamara. These tests have helped Silvio determine which trees to plant in his remaining parcels, as he has been able to prioritise those that prove to be high yielding while producing exceptional cup quality in the micro-region’s unique growing conditions. Silvio considers the introduction of any new varieties to Cerca de Pedras carefully, to avoid disrupting the balance in place while maximising his potential production.
São Benedito is by Silvio’s most established plot, and exemplifies the future of the remaining four properties. Because of this, São Benedito is simply stunning — most coffee grows under the shade of Grevillea trees, which helps the plantation remain quite lush even after the harvest. “I love this kind of sustainability,” Silvio elaborated when giving us a tour of the farm. “The region is not very rich in the amount of rain it receives every year, so I have to protect [the trees] and save water in the field, and shade trees are helpful in promoting all the environmental conditions needed to produce speciality.”
An added benefit to the farm’s health is that the beautiful Rio de Contas runs through it. As one of Bahia’s most important waterways, the river crosses many municipalities and is the main source of water for a large portion of the local population. At São Benedito, de Contas has been crucial at supplying Silvio with the water necessary for irrigation and processing, ensuring his business venture was operational from the moment he took over. For the properties that do not have access to the river, Silvio has built a water reserve at his Beira Rio plot, as it sits at a higher elevation and water can be distributed via gravity, rather than requiring the costly installation of a pump. Silvio’s team has since installed drip irrigation systems (consisting of a series of perforated pipes running beneath the trees to deliver water directly to their roots) that are connected to the reserve, and extended them across his other properties.
By demonstrating the benefits of such a system to neighbouring producers, Silvio hopes that some may be inspired to build their own reserves to stay ahead of the impending challenges of climate change and ensure their production doesn’t suffer during dry years. Because he has worked as an advisor and business partner with countless neighbouring producers for many years, there is a great deal of trust and mutual respect between them. Silvio has also hired a consulting agronomist to analyse the health of each plot’s soil every year, with the goal of determining the best fertiliser to use during irrigation. When we first asked about the role of Cerca de Pedras in town, Silvio explains that his goal is to use the estate as, “A model… a coffee school to showcase how to sustainably produce specialty coffee. With the help of an agronomist, we are sharing this knowledge with many small producers in the region who may not have the resources to afford external consultation and advice.”
Today, Cerca de Pedras serves as Silvio’s centre of operations in Piatã. The estate’s beautiful homestead is Silvio’s residence during the harvest or when he visits the region, and all evaluations are done at his cupping lab on site. Led by Kleumon, a total of 12 staff are employed full-time, with an additional 25 seasonal workers coming on board during the harvest. Silvio’s capable team assist with the roasting and cupping, as well as with the day-to-day operations of the property.
At the wet mill, Kleumon also manages processing for harvested cherries, including some experimentation with controlled fermentation and drying practices. The goal is to produce sweet and clean coffees with a refined acidity and a distinct taste of place. This is because, as Silvio recently explained, “My proudest moment is when people cup the results. It’s the results from all of us who are invested here, including the agronomist, Kleumon, the pickers, and my cupping team. Year by year, whenever you cup the table, you start improving. That is the best moment, it makes us proud and satisfied by the results.”
These milling facilities are also made available to other producers, like Kleumon himself, and serve as an example for them to learn techniques that will improve their crop. As Silvio went on to say, “I have minor capacity to receive coffee cherries from other producers[…] but it solves many quality problems just by doing better post-harvest preparations under good conditions. It’s working well for both sides, because my team and I have the opportunity to process coffees with different profiles from what we are producing, because they come from different lands and different environments, even if they are very close to us. It’s lovely to do!”
“You are part my dream to produce beautiful coffee in a sustainable way together with people, with our team. Thank you for coming and for sharing your time, your days, and your knowledge with us”
Head here to learn more about Silvio and the incredible work he’s done in Brazil.
ABOUT PIATÃ
Located at the foot of the Chapada Diamantina mountain range, Piatã is a unique growing region in Brazil’s Bahia state. The coffees produced here tend to be floral, sweet and complex, and noticeably distinct from those grown elsewhere in Brazil. There are two main factors behind this: coffee grows at elevations of up to 1,400 meters above sea level, which is high for the country; and temperatures range from about 2°C to 18°C in winter, some of the lowest in Brazil. Combined, the high elevation and cool climate are key in slowing down the maturation of the coffee cherries, leading to an increased concentration of sugars in the bean. The result is a cup profile that is bright, transparent, and distinctive. Piatã’s relative proximity to the Equator line ensures the region’s coffee trees can experience such drastic conditions without being affected by frost, unlike other, more traditional coffee-growing regions in the country.
Piatã’s exceptional natural characteristics also contribute greatly to the coffees’ profile. In the distant past, the whole of Chapada Diamantina was completely under water, slowly eroding over millions of years — leaving behind soil that is nutrient-rich and slightly soft. This soil, along with the above-average local humidity, is home to a healthy and diverse ecosystem that includes some 1,600 individual plant species. While the highlands of Chapada are rugged and dry, the area surrounding Piatã is filled with streams, waterfalls and even swamps that, in most years, provide plenty of water for irrigation and agriculture.
While coffee production is on the rise in Piatã, it is still very much a developing industry. Locally produced lots didn’t gain recognition for quality among Brazilian buyers until the 1990s. This recognition led to the establishing of the ASCAMP growers’ association in 1998, which was tasked with assisting growers who had land, but few resources. Over the next decade, cooperatives and other farmer groups were founded, playing a pivotal role in elevating the coffees grown and processed in the region. Piatã went on to be internationally recognised for its high quality in 2009, when five of the top 10 spots in Brazil’s Cup of Excellence came from this small corner of Bahia. The region’s dominance in the competition has continued every year since, particularly in 2016 when an astounding 19 of the 24 winning lots came from Piatã, and again in 2022, when 10 local winners were recognised! MCM has been sourcing coffee from this region since 2012, thanks to the support of longtime partner and coffee mentor Silvio Leite. Head here for more on Silvio and the incredible work he’s done in Brazil.
Part of what makes the Piatã region so special is that production is extremely limited, given the scale of the local estates. Farm sizes tend to be relatively small when compared to other producing areas in Brazil, usually just ten hectares or less in size, and are not visible when driving through the outskirts of town (unlike somewhere like Cerrado de Minas in Minas Gerais, where large estates make up most of the landscape). Most growers process their own cherry on site, sticking to traditional methods with little focus on experimentation, with the goal of processing coffee well and ensuring the final cup is sweet and clean. As many producers rely on coffee as their main source of income, simplicity and repeatability are prioritised. Great attention to detail is placed on the post-harvest work, as the region’s cooler temperatures and high humidity pose risks to the drying parchment. To prevent any potential defects in the cup, many local producers have built greenhouses and raised beds, to add a layer of protection without minimising the necessary ventilation for coffee to dry evenly and at a steady rate.
The region of Piatã is the traditional home of the Cariri and Maracá indigenous people, who were defeated during the Portuguese invasion of Brazil in the seventeenth century. While most of the remaining Cariri people were displaced to other regions within the state of Bahia, eventually joining other indigenous communities, the Maracás have a nearby municipality located at their historical capital city, named in their honour. The word “piatã” translates to “hard foot or fortress” in the indigenous Tupi language (which was spoken by most First Nations People along Brazil’s coast). Head here to learn more about beautiful Piatã.
HOW THIS COFFEE WAS PROCESSED
At Cerca de Pedras São Benedito, processing starts on the field. The team closely monitors the Brix degree of coffee cherries, which gives them a good indication of when they have hit peak ripeness – the perfect time for picking. Cherries were carefully harvested by hand, mostly by local women (called “panhadeiras de cafe”) who are extremely disciplined and ensure only the very best cherries are selected.
This coffee was then processed using the pulped natural process. After pulping, the beans were dried in greenhouses with their mucilage still attached—spread in layers of about four centimetres and turned several times a day. At this stage, the coffee is primarily left in the shade, slowing down and extending the drying considerably. Silvio tells us this is key in improving and ‘saving’ the fructose and all positive attributes found in the remaining mucilage, which will contribute to a higher quality and longer shelf life in the final cup. Finally, the beans were separated into numbered lots, and later stored and rested in parchment in a purpose-built warehouse. They were then cupped for quality control prior to export.
