Red Catuai | Sitio Balaio # Fernandes Family

THE FARM & PRODUCERS

Sítio Balaio is part of the larger Sítio Fernandes, located in Pedralva, Sul de Minas, one of Brazil’s most established coffee-growing regions. The farm is owned and operated by the Fernandes family, who have been producing coffee in the area since the 1970s.

The family’s coffee history began in 1974, when Mario Fernandes acquired land in Pedralva. Despite facing severe frost events in the late 1970s, the family chose to continue investing in coffee production, gradually building experience and passing knowledge across generations.

Today, Sítio Balaio is managed by Paulo Alexandre Fernandes, one of Mario’s sons. The property covers approximately 10 hectares, with around 4 hectares dedicated to coffee, planted at elevations ranging from 1,160 to 1,330 masl. Production volumes remain small, allowing for close supervision of harvesting, drying and storage.

Coffee at Sítio Balaio is produced under a family-driven model, with strong attention to cleanliness, drying control and lot separation. This hands-on approach allows the Fernandes family to maintain consistency while highlighting the natural characteristics of their coffees.

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THE COFFEE

This lot is a Natural Red Catuai from Sítio Balaio, produced by the Fernandes family in Pedralva, Sul de Minas. The coffee is delivered as green coffee in 60 kg bags.

Red Catuai from this region typically offers a classic Brazilian profile, combining good body, sweetness and moderate acidity. The Natural process adds structure and roundness, making the coffee suitable for both espresso and milk-based beverages, as well as for balanced filter applications.

Thanks to careful on-farm processing and controlled drying, this coffee delivers a clean and consistent cup, making it a reliable option for roasters seeking approachable profiles with repeatable quality.

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THE VARIETAL | RED CATUAI

Catuai is a Brazilian coffee variety developed in the 1940s by the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC), resulting from a cross between Mundo Novo and Caturra. It has become one of the most widely planted varieties in Brazil due to its productivity and adaptability.

Red Catuai is known for its compact plant structure, good yield potential and resilience under a range of growing conditions. These characteristics make it well suited to both manual and mechanized harvesting, particularly in regions such as Sul de Minas.

In the cup, Red Catuai typically expresses balanced sweetness, moderate acidity and medium body, with flavour notes often leaning toward chocolate, nuts and soft fruit. Its versatility allows roasters to adapt roast profiles for espresso, blends or clean, approachable single-origin offerings.

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THE PROCESSING METHOD

This lot is processed as a Natural at Sítio Balaio. After harvesting, cherries are dried with the fruit intact, allowing sugars to migrate gradually into the bean and enhancing body and sweetness.

Drying takes place on the farm under close supervision, with careful control of moisture levels and regular turning to ensure even drying. The process typically lasts around 20 days before the coffee is rested and stored.

This controlled Natural processing approach helps preserve stability and consistency while highlighting the inherent qualities of the Red Catuai varietal, resulting in a clean and structured cup profile.