Notes: Grape, Florals, Chocolate
Processing: Washed
Elevation: 1,600-1,900 MASL
Varietal: Caturra
Region: Cajamarca, Peru
Color: Agtron 67 Whole Bean | 105 Ground
About
Grapevine is one of those coffees that sneaks up on you in the best way. The name is no accident—the first thing you'll notice is a distinctive grape note, almost wine-like, layered with delicate florals and a smooth chocolate finish. It's a Caturra from the high mountains of Cajamarca, Peru, and it brings everything we love about Peruvian washed coffee: clean, balanced, sweet, and full-bodied. This one drinks beautifully across the board—pour-over, espresso, even a French press. A great daily driver that still surprises you.
More About The Coffee
Cajamarca sits in the rugged Andean highlands of northern Peru and is responsible for around 43% of the country's coffee production. The region's combination of high elevation, fertile volcanic soils, and dramatic temperature swings between day and night creates ideal conditions for growing complex, expressive coffees. Cherries mature slowly in the cool mountain air, building depth and sweetness over months of patient ripening before they're ready for harvest.
Most coffee in Cajamarca comes from smallholder farmers working two to three hectares of land. Many practice organic farming as part of larger cooperatives that have transformed Peruvian specialty coffee over the past decade. While farmers here historically worked independently—often without access to specialty buyers—the rise of cooperatives like Lima Coffees and other women-led producer groups has dramatically improved both quality and traceability across the region.
The Caturra variety that makes up this lot is a natural mutation of Bourbon, first discovered in Brazil and now grown widely throughout Latin America. It's known for high yields and bright, clean acidity—qualities that thrive in Cajamarca's high-altitude conditions. After harvest, cherries are depulped the same day, then given a 12-18 hour open-air fermentation in the cool mountain temperatures (which sometimes extends longer at higher elevations). The coffee is then washed clean of mucilage and dried slowly, often in solar tents that protect the beans while allowing for even moisture release over 16-20 days.
What you get in the cup is a reflection of all that careful work: a coffee with the structural integrity of a washed Latin American but the expressive fruit and floral character of something more experimental. Peru has all the conditions to produce world-class coffee—high elevation, classic varieties, smallholders committed to quality—and lots like this one are proof of what's possible when origin, processing, and producer all line up just right.
