Brazil | Santuario Sul | Pacamara | Anaerobic Natural

Region: Carmo de Minas, Minas Gerais 

Elevation: 1200 masl

About: Santuário Sul sits in the hills of Carmo de Minas, built as a deliberate step away from traditional Brazilian coffee. The project was founded by Luiz Paulo Dias Pereira, alongside collaborators including Camilo Merizalde, with the intention to experiment, both in the field and at the mill.  

Rather than focusing on volume, Luiz Paulo approaches the farm as a living collection of varieties. More than 30 cultivars are planted across the property, each managed separately and monitored closely through harvest. This level of control allows the team to refine how each variety responds to altitude, soil, and process, with Luiz personally cupping early samples to guide decisions.  

Pacamara is a clear example of this intent. A variety not traditionally associated with Brazil, it’s grown here with careful attention to maturation, and fermentation. This Pacamara presents high sweetness and a coating mouthfeel, shaped through an extended fermentation protocol. 

The result is a different expression of Brazil, less familiar and more exploratory, and firmly tied to a producer willing to test the limits of what can be done.

This Brazil Santuario Sul lot, produced by Luiz Paulo Dias Pereira in Carmo de Minas, Minas Gerais, represents a sophisticated intersection of regional tradition and modern processing. Grown at 1200 masl, this Pacamara varietal is processed using an anaerobic natural method. While Pacamara is often celebrated for its distinctively large bean size and complex, layered acidity, the application of anaerobic natural techniques can further amplify the intensity of the fruit-forward characteristics inherent in the cherry.

Sourced by Proud Mary Coffee, this selection highlights the evolving landscape of Brazil · Carmo de Minas, Minas Gerais. When evaluating such unique profiles, enthusiasts often find it helpful to reference the flavor wheel to identify the nuanced shifts in sweetness and body that result from these controlled fermentation environments. This coffee serves as a compelling example of how specific varietal selection and meticulous post-harvest handling can redefine expectations for Brazilian specialty production.