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La Candelilla Tarrazú Estate
Farm is located in the municipality of Tarrazú, Costa Rica. Tarrazú is
a magnificent valley, high in the Talamanca Mountains, in the southwest
part of Costa Rica. It is one of the first Costa Rican Municipalities,
an area that reflects the history of the country and its beginnings. The
area combines breathtaking scenery with great coffee and a rich history. Tarrazú is
a rural community noted throughout the world for its traditional values
and its leadership in growing fine Estate coffees. This highland valley
also stands out because of its abundant natural beauty and bountiful
resources. Majestic Mountains, scenic forests, rolling hills and
a verdant valley characterize the land and provide a changing kaleidoscope
of beauty both in the dry and rainy seasons. |
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La Candelilla
Estate farm is in La Sabana, at the south bank of the Pirris River, approximately
1.2 miles ( 2 km ) west from the center of San Marcos de Tarrazú,
is set on a rise of land between the roaring Pirris River and a small
creek.Mr. Victor Mora, the previous owner of this farm and one of the
first settlers in the valley, started planting Arabica coffee trees back
in the early 1900´s. Mr. Rafael Sánchez , his wife Lucía (
Mr. Mora´s daughter ) and their descendants took over the
coffee-producing operation in the 1940´s. After years
of planning, the Sánchez family finally opened their coffee mill
in the summer of 2000. This
farm consist of about 70 acres (28 hectares) of coffee land with
two main houses, a warehouse, the coffee mill and drying patios, which
sit right at the center of the farm. It is a quiet, open land between
1500-1600 meters (4921-5249 feet) above sea level and away the
heavily traveled road from San Marcos to San Lorenzo. Average harvest
is estimated at 2000 fanegas (aprox. 2000, 46-kg. bags ) |
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| The Sánchez Family has two varieties
of Arabica coffee trees in the farm: Caturra and Catuai, although some
of the old Arábigo trees still remain. Only the ripe coffee cherries
are hand-picked, processed, completely sun-dried, and graded in the old
Tarrazú methods. All members of
the family participate in the operation. After picking the ripe fruit,
it is transported by small trucks through narrow internal roads to the
mill. Once at the receiving station, a depulper removes the outer skin
from the seeds. Then, a cylinder called “criba¨”classifies the
seeds and transport them to the fermentation tanks. The washing
channel removes the mucilage from the seeds and further classifies
them.The coffee beans are then transported to patios or traditional
drying decks for 100% sun-drying. Members of the Sánchez
Family constantly turn the coffee over using wooden paddles or
their bare hands. Mechanical dryers are never used in the
process in order to obtain an excellent quality coffee.The
parchment coffee is then transported to the warehouse were it rests for
a period of time until it is run through a huller. The green coffee is
then carefully sorted to remove any defects. Only the highest grade
of their sun-dried Tarrazú coffees are labeled ¨ La Candelilla
Tarrazú ¨ for export.The owners of La Candelilla Tarrazú Estate
are committed to implement environmentally-friendly practices. The skins
of the coffee or ¨Broza¨ are transformed into organic fertilizer to be
used within the farm. Water-treatment facilities were built in order
to avoid any damage to the nearby creek and the Pirris River.Underlying
the mission of the owners of La Candelilla Tarrazú Estate is the
determination to produce quality coffee, while holding a deep respect
for individuals inside and outside the Estate and for the communities
and environment of which they are a part. |
