Organic Mexico Santuario

Mexican coffees are generally smooth, sweet, and mellow, making them ideal for blending, especially with more acidic or fruity coffees. However, the coffee from the Santuario community stands out thanks to its unique climatic conditions. The shade trees and biodiversity create a cooler microclimate, even during hot days, allowing for a longer maturation period during which coffee trees absorb more nutrients, resulting in enhanced flavors.

Santuario farmers focus on heirloom varieties like Caturra, Bourbon, and Typica. Although these varieties are susceptible to diseases like roya, they thrive in healthy, biodiverse environments, which adds layers of complexity to the coffee.

The coffee is processed using a traditional washed fermentation method. Cherries are hand-picked daily, carefully sorted, depulped, and dry fermented for up to 48 hours. After fermentation, the coffee is washed, sorted by bean size, and dried on patios until it reaches the optimal moisture content.

Founded in 2000, the Triunfo Verde Cooperative in Chiapas, Mexico, supports skilled and dedicated coffee farmers across the region. They’ve overcome challenges like the roya outbreak, a disease that devastated coffee plants, by providing farmers with disease-resistant tree varieties, organic fertilizers, and agricultural training to address climate change.

The cooperative also launched FinMujer, a women-led micro-financing initiative that helps families access funds for household goods and farm improvements. Additionally, they’ve established “ideal farms” to study the impacts of climate change and develop new agricultural methods. Triunfo Verde is a stable and well-organized cooperative that supports hundreds of farmers in southwestern Chiapas.

Last fall, Wonderstate partnered with Triunfo Verde to focus on a special group of 30 farmers in Santuario, a community within the buffer zone of the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve. This area is home to many at-risk species, and Santuario farmers practice exclusively organic farming. Many of the farmers are either founding members or descendants of the cooperative’s founding families, showcasing their long-standing commitment to sustainable agriculture and high-quality coffee.

During our visit, we were deeply impressed by the strength and dedication of the Santuario farmers. Their commitment to biodiversity and sustainable practices is vital as climate change increasingly impacts coffee-growing communities worldwide. The quality of the coffee reflects their investment in soil health and conservation, with natural shade trees cooling the environment, resulting in a complex, bright, and sweet cup.

Altitude:
1500-1700 meters

Varietals:
Bourbon, Caturra, Typica, Anacafe, Pacamara

Process:
Classic washed and sundried on patios

Harvest:
December-April 2024

Region:
Santuario, Chiapas

Nearly a decade ago, Wonderstate began sourcing coffee from Mexico. Over time, we’ve sought out partners who excel in both quality and sustainability, with a deep commitment to the farmers and the environment that make coffee possible. This year, we’re excited to spotlight the Santuario farmers within the Triunfo Verde cooperative, renowned for their dedication to holistic and sustainable coffee cultivation.

This coffee offers a deep texture with layers of rich dark chocolate filled cookies, followed by sweet toffee like candy notes, and finishing with subtle fruit tones of raisins. As it cools, you’ll notice citrus and herbal notes emerging as well. Roasted slightly darker than our typical single origins, Mexico Santuario shines in both conventional filter brews and as a single-origin espresso.