Colombia — Rodrigo Sanchez, Finca Monteblanco — Caturra (Red Fruits Co-Fermentation)

Tastes Like — 🍓 Strawberry • 🫐 Blueberry • 🥛 Yoghurt

DETAILS

• Producer: Rodrigo Sanchez
• Farm: Finca Monteblanco
• Region: Pitalito, Huila, Colombia
• Varietal: Caturra
• Process: Red Fruits Co-Fermentation
• Score: 87
• Altitude: 1,730 MASL
• Harvest: 2025
• Size: 200g

INTRO

Finca Monteblanco is one of Colombia's most celebrated experimental producers, and the Strawberry lot is a vivid illustration of why. Nestled at 1,730 metres on the heights of Pitalito, the farm's Caturra cherries are co-fermented with red fruit nectars and selected yeasts — pushing the expressive limits of the variety whilst delivering a cup profile of striking intensity and gourmand character.

Strawberry and blueberry notes dominate the palate, enveloped in a creamy, yoghurt-like texture that lingers into a long, fruit-sweet finish.

THE PRODUCER

Rodrigo Sanchez has built Finca Monteblanco into a world-renowned micro-laboratory for fermentation innovation. Working at 1,730 metres in Pitalito — one of Huila's most productive coffee zones — Rodrigo has developed a suite of proprietary fermentation protocols that consistently produce coffees recognised at the highest levels of the specialty industry.

His approach is meticulous and science-led, combining deep knowledge of microbiology with a producer's intuition for terroir. Monteblanco coffees are sought after by roasters across Europe, Japan, and North America, and the farm's work has significantly influenced how Colombian co-fermented lots are developed and perceived globally.

THE PROCESS

The Red Fruits Co-Fermentation at Finca Monteblanco involves:

• 🍒 Selective Harvest — Cherries hand-picked at peak ripeness
• 🧪 Co-fermentation — Coffee cherries fermented with red fruit nectars and selected yeasts to develop and exalt aromatic complexity
• ☀️ Controlled Drying — Beans dried slowly to preserve intensity and textural sweetness
• ✅ Quality Control — Rigorous sorting and moisture monitoring throughout

The co-fermentation protocol at Monteblanco is designed to amplify specific aromatic compounds, producing a cup profile that pushes well beyond conventional terroir expression whilst retaining exceptional sweetness and balance.

THE CUP

A bold, funky, and unabashedly delicious filter coffee. Intense strawberry and blueberry arrive immediately, carried by a creamy, yoghurt-like body that gives way to a suave, fruit-sweet finish. This is Colombian specialty at its most expressive — a coffee for those who love vivid, indulgent flavour profiles.

Flavour Notes

• 🍓 Strawberry
• 🫐 Blueberry
• 🥛 Yoghurt