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Farm Review From Brazil Fazenda Cerca de Pedra

Another Day another review, not many of these left but I hope you are enjoying them.

if your not tough luck because I am so there.

Farm Name: Brazil Fazenda Cerca de Pedra
Producers Name:João Florentino Barbosa
Region:Piata, Chapada Diamantina
Altitude:1110 to 1200 meters above sea level
Varieties Grown:catura
Last visit: First Visit

Report: This was my fist visit to cerca de pedra, but one I was looking forwards to with great in-trepidation. Located between Divino spirito de santo and sao Judas, it has everything going for it in this hot and up and coming growing region. Being next door to the first second and fifth best farms in Brazil (cup of excellence 2009) certainly gives you a chance.

To find João we drove into the centre of piata and found him, no plans just found him, thats how small the town in (in fact we found him just outside Antônio Rigno’s house). He then had to pop to the supermarket he had recently opened in the town, to get us all water for the long (5 min drive) to his farm.

First we got to see the drying facilities. João doesn’t live on the farm its managed, from this small area. It looked fairly disorganised and not in the best of conditions. A surprise as Michael from Divino espirito de santo had told me how organised it was last year. Once on the farm it was a huge shock. The plants looked distressed, the farm looekd distressed. A case of taking the eye of the ball I think which will cost dearly, the cutting back that was underway means next year there will be nothing from this farm, it was that bad.

I had planned to do an in my mug from the farm, I’d been planning it for three months or so, but I was so shocked by it, I felt it wasn’t appropriate to do so.

The blind cupping table the following day proved out that disappointment. A second cupping Friday also proved equally disappointing.

I think its very sad, but had I been sent these samples without seeing the farm, I would have cried foul after last years amazing cup. But seeing the farm, I could taste my disappointment with every slurp. I hate the fact this may be a one year wonder, but I feel its the right thing to do, let the farm recover and maybe re visit in a couple of years time.

The low point of the trip.

About the author Just Steve Leighton

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