Brazil Vinhal Estate Natural

Brazil Vinhal Estate Natural

Origin: Brazil
Region: Cerrado Mineiro, Minas Gerais
Estate: Vinhal Estate
Producer: Vinhal Family
Farm: Fazenda Recanto
Crop: 2025
Species: Arabica
Varieties: Catuaí & Mundo Novo
Process: Natural / Dry Processed
Altitude: 800–1,200 MASL
Screen: 15/16
Tasting Notes: Raisin, Chocolate, Green Apple & Hazelnut

This coffee comes from Vinhal Estate in Cerrado Mineiro, Minas Gerais, one of Brazil’s best-known specialty coffee growing regions. Produced by the Vinhal family, the estate has been involved in coffee production since the late 1980s and has developed a strong reputation for carefully produced, distinctive Brazilian coffees.

The family’s approach combines generations of farming experience with a modern focus on quality, sustainability and careful post-harvest processing. Afonso and Marcelia Vinhal have played key roles in developing the estate, while their son Rafael Vinhal has helped drive its growing reputation within the specialty coffee market through a strong focus on quality, experimentation and identifying the individual characteristics of each harvest.

This particular lot is produced from Catuaí and Mundo Novo Arabica varieties, grown at elevations of approximately 800–1,200 metres above sea level. These varieties are particularly well suited to the conditions found in Cerrado Mineiro, producing coffees with excellent sweetness, body and balance.

The coffee is processed using the natural, or dry, method. Rather than removing the fruit immediately after harvesting, the whole coffee cherries are carefully dried with the fruit still surrounding the seed. This slower process allows sugars and fruit characteristics from the cherry to influence the developing coffee, contributing additional sweetness, body and complexity. Traditional patio drying is an important part of the estate’s natural coffee production, with close attention paid to achieving even and consistent drying.

Cerrado Mineiro provides particularly favourable conditions for producing high-quality natural coffees. The region experiences relatively dry weather during the harvest period, which helps producers control the drying process and reduce the risks associated with excess humidity. Its combination of warm days, cooler nights, defined seasons and well-drained soils creates ideal conditions for developing sweet and balanced Arabica coffees.

The estate also places a strong emphasis on responsible farming and long-term sustainability. At Fazenda Recanto, mature African Mahogany trees are used to provide shade for younger coffee plants, helping create a more balanced growing environment while contributing to greater biodiversity across the farm.

The Vinhal family has also achieved significant recognition for its coffee production. Fazenda Recanto placed third in the 2022 Brazil Cup of Excellence, demonstrating the level of quality the estate is capable of producing. While that award was achieved by a different microlot, it reflects the attention to detail and quality-focused approach that runs throughout the farm.

In the cup, this natural lot offers a classic Brazilian foundation with additional fruit complexity. Expect rich notes of chocolate and hazelnut, accompanied by the sweetness of raisin and a brighter green apple character. The result is a rounded, smooth and approachable coffee with enough fruit and acidity to remain lively and interesting.

For roasters, this is an extremely versatile green coffee. A medium roast will emphasise its chocolate, nut and dried-fruit sweetness, making it particularly well suited to espresso, while a slightly lighter development can highlight more of the apple-like brightness and fruit character. It can work equally well as a characterful single-origin coffee or as a high-quality component within an espresso blend.