Brazil COE Coffee Estate | FAZENDA DO SERTAO | Brazil Semi-Washed Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee Brazil COE Queen's Estate

Estate Name: FAZENDA DO SERTAO

Estate Age: From 1857 to present

Estate Region: Located in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

City Name: Machado

Estate Terrain: Altitude above 900 meters

Soil: Red soil, planted alongside other fruit trees

Estate Size: 524 hectares, with 210 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation

Production: 7,500 bags annually (60 kg per bag)

Coffee Species: 100% Arabica

Varieties: Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Catuai

Coffee Flavor: Moderate acidity with fruity notes, full-bodied

Processing Method: Natural drying and semi-washed/honey process

Fazenda do Sertão: A Legendary Estate

FAZENDA DO SERTAO is a renowned estate that has won the CoE competition four times, and it is also the namesake of the SERTAO Group. This legendary estate has over a century of history and, particularly in Carmo de Minas, a premium coffee hub in southern Minas Gerais, it stands as a pioneering estate.

Because Fazenda Sertão has been cultivating coffee for over a century and was the first coffee estate established in this region, its long history combined with superior flavor has earned it widespread acclaim. It was later incorporated into a renowned specialty coffee group, which decided to name the entire group after SERTÃO.

In 2005, the group set multiple records in the history of CoE competitions across various countries, sweeping both the "Highest Bid" and "Most Finalist Estates" categories, with three estates from the group simultaneously ranking in the Top 10. This record is unprecedented and will likely remain unmatched for years. This time we have specially introduced two exceptional estates from the group, with Fazenda Sertão being the first.

The SERTÃO estate is famous for its sweet natural springs and beautiful, well-preserved primitive forests, making it well worth a visit.

The estate sits in the high-altitude mountainous region of the Mantinqueira range, with excellent climate conditions: large temperature variations but no frost damage, and naturally fertile soil. In fact, the estate had the conditions for producing premium coffee very early on. After José Isidro Pereira and Nazareth Dias Pereira inherited it, they maintained traditional meticulous farming practices while advancing toward superior specialty coffee quality. Their descendants and son-in-law also joined the management team. Word of mouth from customers is their driving force for continuous improvement, which is why we strongly recommend and introduce them. They also take excellent care of their employees, providing medical care, a school, sports facilities, and even fishing ponds. More importantly, the coffee quality is excellent, with every cupping session demonstrating high standards. When I first tested their samples in 2003, I was deeply impressed.

SERTÃO Estate Harvesting and Processing Methods

The harvesting and processing model at SERTÃO estate is as follows:

(1) Manual harvesting of coffee cherries: the estate consists mainly of terraced and sloped terrain, making manual picking the most feasible method. With today's higher quality requirements for specialty coffee, only properly ripe cherries are selected for harvest alongside manual picking.

(2) At the receiving and processing station in the coffee plantation, cherries are transported twice daily and immediately undergo washing, pulping, and spreading processing (pulped natural) on the same day.

(3) After washing the harvested cherries, the pulp is removed, followed by another wash. On the same day, these beans are spread on concrete platforms for the subsequent drying process.

(4) Next comes drying and resting, with the goal of uniform drying to reach 10.5% moisture content.

(5) The beans in their hulls are rested for 30 days to ensure quality stability.

(6) They are then transported to the cooperative for final dry processing and grading, packaging.

(7) Consistent quality control: investment in first-class equipment, process management and quality supervision at every stage, and, importantly, independent labeling and cupping of each batch of harvested and processed coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

An estate that has won the CoE four times shows what careful harvesting and processing can achieve in Brazil, and FrontStreet Coffee's Brazilian single origins bring that same attention to the cup. The Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is a classic starting point: roasted medium, it delivers creamy peanut, toast, caramel, and hazelnut aromas with a round, low-acid body and a faint bitter edge, reflecting the moderate acidity and fullness Fazenda do Sertão is known for. For a sweeter, fruitier expression of Brazilian terroir, the Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon from Mogiana offers a clean sugarcane sweetness layered with fruit and chocolate. Either bean makes an excellent everyday pour-over, moka pot, or espresso, just as this legendary estate deserves.