Costa Rica - Emmanuel Solis

about the producer.

Emmanuel Solis is the fourth generation of a family dedicated to coffee for the last 100 years. He grew up among coffee plantations and has wanted to grow coffee since he was a child. Over time, this bond strengthened until he managed to establish an integral family farm in the highlands of Santa María de Dota, in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica.

Today Emmanuel’s agricultural approach is deeply influenced by family tradition, and this passion for coffee is met by his constant desire to improve. At Las Margaritas every detail is considered with an equal commitment to sustainable practices, producing high-quality coffee without harming the environment. At the farm they do not use agrochemicals that harm the environment, coffee by-products are reused for composting, the soil is protected with terraces and live barriers, and diverse crops are grown providing shade to the coffee plants.

At Las Margaritas, coffee is produced at altitudes between 2000 and 2100 meters above sea level, some of the highest grown coffee in Costa Rica. The farm has semi-sandy soils with medium acidity and a good amount of organic matter. The plants are protected from the sun and wind using shade from banana and avocado trees. Increasing the shade is excellent for protecting the plants and soil, while reducing sun exposure also draws out the maturation of the cherries increasing the complexity of the flavour profile.

about the coffee.

gesha natural.

Emmanuel grows a range of traditional and high-end varieties at Las Margaritas. A significant moment was in 2019 when Emmanuel first planted Gesha, one of the world’s most prized varieties, known for its floral fragrance, delicate flavour and cup clarity. Today these mature plants have excelled in the high altitude and rich soils of the farm.

This lot is a natural process that enhances the fruit sweetness of the Gesha while carefully maintaining the delicate florals that make the variety so unique. This begins with a very selective manual harvest, picking only fully ripe cherries. These are carefully hand-sorted at the farm before floating and moving the cherries to raised drying beds for a slow controlled 25 day drying time.

During the first few days, the coffee is piled up at night to encourage a low temperature fermentation and spread out during the day to avoid increased temperatures. Later the cherries are constantly moved on the beds to increase airflow until the moisture content is between 10.5% and 12%. This slow drying is key to achieving stability and excellent cup quality.

cup profile.

First we swirl the coffee to release the delicate aromas. We’re met with high intensity of white and pink flowers that remind us of orange blossom, jasmine, and peonies. We also smell a mix of tropical, citrus and stone fruits.

As we take our first sip we experience a range of sweet fruits like navel orange, papaya, and fresh cherries. The finish is sweet like caramelized brown sugar with red fruits like dried cranberries and pomegranate in the aftertaste. The texture is juicy and coating with a long lasting clean finish.