This spectacular coffee comes to us from Wilson Rene López and his 2-hectare farm, Las Murgas, located in the department of Nariño, Colombia. Grown at an altitude of 2200 meters, a height far exceeding the 1500 meters required for designation as a "very high altitude" coffee, the Las Murgas delivers a lively cup nuanced by understated fruit tones. Juicy and sweet with floral aroma, this microlot's complex acidity follows into a clean, silky finish.
Born into a large coffee-growing family, Wilson has managed Las Murgas for eight years. He and his family operate the farm on the slopes of the Medina Espejo region in the municipality of Buesaco, a hotbed for high-end coffee buyers in search of Colombia's coffee treasure. He uses his own micro-mill to process harvested cherries, which allows for meticulous care in depulping, eighteen-hour fermentation periods, and 7 to 14 days of drying. The reward of this young farmer's effort lies in the remarkable flavor profile that he and his family have achieved.
Nariño is Colombia’s southwestern-most coffee growing state, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean. Nariño boasts about 40,000 coffee farms, two-thirds of which average just 3 acres in size. Nariño’s proximity to the equator results in intense exposure to the sun (relatively constant and powerful year-round), which influences the cherry maturation rate.
In Buesaco, warm air rises from the deep canyons at night and serves as a protective blanket for the coffee plants perched at high elevations (up to 2300 masl) on the mountain tops. These combined factors cause the coffee plants to passively absorb the sun’s energy during the day and then to come alive at night when the conditions are less harsh. This translates into concentrated flowering and long cherry maturation periods, conditions that have produced many award-winning coffees, including this years's first place Colombia Cup of Excellence.
Wilson Rene's devotion to his coffee earned him an invitation to participate in the Mejor de Nariño competition. Ultimately, his coffee stood head-and-shoulders above the other highly-regarded coffees, eliciting unanimous adulation from coffee traders and buyers alike.
Grower: Wilson Rene López, Finca Las Murgas
Variety: Caturra
Region: Medina Espejo, Buesaco, Nariño, Colombia
Harvest: June - August
Altitude: 2000 - 2200 meters
Soil: Sandy loam
Process: Fully washed after pulping, fermented for 18 hours, then dried under partial shade for 4 days before patio drying for another week or two.
