Costa Rica — Ramirez-Navarro Family Los Campos Natural Blend (Seven Varieties)

Tastes Like — 🍑 Red Plum • 🍒 Cherry • 🍇 Gooseberry • 🍫 Dark Chocolate

DETAILS

• Producers: Ramirez-Navarro family (Don Alexis Ramirez's farm)
• Farm & Mill: Los Campos
• Region: Tablón del Guarco, Los Santos, Costa Rica
• Varietal: Blend of Caturra, Catuaí, Typica, Gesha, Milenio, Centroamericano & Esperanza
• Process: Natural
• Altitude: 1,750–2,000 masl
• Cup Score: 86.5 SCA

INTRO
Most farms treat the edges of their harvest as an afterthought, selling the start and end of the season as commercial grade. Don Alexis asked what happens when you stop deciding which part deserves to be special. The Los Campos Blend is his answer, essentially the whole farm in one bag, with different varieties, harvest moments, and lots all processed as naturals. Dark, fruity, and slightly winey. In the cup: red plum, cherry, gooseberry, and dark chocolate.

THE PRODUCER
The Ramirez-Navarro family has farmed in Los Santos for generations, and the farm's story is inseparable from Mr. Alexis Ramirez, a lifelong farmer whose passion for the land shaped everything the family built. Don Alexis passed away a few years ago, and his vision continues to guide the work, carried forward by the family he inspired. In 2015 they built their own micro-mill, Los Campos, giving full control over processing and traceability and opening the door to direct trade relationships like this one.

The farm runs at 1,750 to 2,000 meters, with the highest plots, where Gesha is planted, in forested land at the top of the hill. Alongside traditional Caturra and Catuaí, the family is exploring F1 hybrids including Esperanza, Milenio, and Centroamericano, a bet on diversity and resilience.

THE PROCESS
Each component is processed as a natural at the family's own micro-mill. Whole cherries are dried on raised beds with regular turning for even drying, letting the sugars and fruit compounds from the skin gradually work into the bean. The approach is deliberate: rather than elaborate fermentation techniques, the focus is on letting each lot dry cleanly and express its own character.

Blending lots across varieties, growing conditions, and harvest timing is the defining structure here. Each contributes something distinct, and the whole is more interesting than any single part would have been alone.

THE CUP
Dark, fruity, and slightly winey, a natural that feels like a slow evening rather than a bright morning. Rich red plum with a gentle tannic depth opens the cup, followed by full, juicy cherry with a slightly fermented edge, then a bright, tart gooseberry lift, and a dark chocolate finish that grounds it with warmth and length.

Flavour Notes
🍑 Red Plum 🍒 Cherry 🍇 Gooseberry 🍫 Dark Chocolate