Plantations

The Fazenda Leolinda farm is located near Ilheus in the Bahia terroir. The owner Joao Tavarez has a very exclusive and rare parcel of white Amelonedo, named Catongo. It achieves remarkable fermentation and drying, leading to high quality beans. After a gentle roasting, these out of the ordinary beans reveal all of their unique distinctiveness and sweetness.

Amelonado cocoa trees grow amidst pepper plants on the red and volcanic soils of Upper Penja. Fermentation and drying take place on site under excellent conditions, which yields beans full of character and with a strong identity. Through a controlled roasting process, it is possible to exploit all of the aromatic characteristics without increasing the intrinsic bitterness of these beans.

The Tumaco terroir is located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean in southwestern Colombia. This terroir is the most preserved in the whole country, and has the oldest varieties of Trinitario. The harvest is carefully fermented and dried by the Corpoteva cooperative located in the heart of the plantation. Once roasted, these beans reveal their sweetness accompanied by a light bitterness as well as fruity notes.

Located on the eastern tip of the island in Guantanamo Province, the Baracoa region enjoys a microclimate suitable for cocoa farming. As a result of its history and evolution since 1540, Cuban cocoa is mainly composed of Trinitario and is harvested twice a year. After roasting, these beans reveal their woody, red fruit, citrus fruit, tobacco and dried fruit notes, amid a lovely acidity that gives it both freshness and temperament.

From the family hacienda La Zoilita in the Los Rios terroir, these beans of Nacional variety are very dark but possess the finesse of the finest Criollos. La Zoilita is one of the few plantations where this variety is exclusively cultivated, in a forest environment rich in biodiversity. Roasting at low temperature preserves the floral and delicate qualities of these beans.

The Bejofo farm is located in the fertile Sambirano valley, where cocoa trees of Criollo and Trinitario types grow. A careful identification ensures efficient sorting and tracking during the harvest, fermentation and slow sun-drying that take place on the estate. Slow roasting helps preserve the exceptional qualities and the delightful lemony acidity of the estate’s unique crop.

Over the centuries Mexico has been one of the major players in the history of cocoa. We are fortunate to have Criollo beans from the El Tulipan finca, most of which are pure white. This estate crop of exceptional quality produces beans which after roasting, with special care taken due to their fragility, reveal delicate notes of yellow fruits coupled with a pleasant and refreshing acidity.

The Piura terroir is located in Peru, to the far north of the Andes Mountains, and is home to most of the country’s Criollos. The region is believed to be one of the possible birthplaces of cocoa. The producers entrust the post-harvest to the Norandino cooperative, a farmers’ movement that promotes an alternative agro-ecological farming system. After roasting at low temperature, the cocoa reveals subtle notes of dried fruit, grapes and honey.

The island of Trinidad is the birthplace of the Trinitario from which it derives its name. These beans from the Imperial College Selection gave rise to the first man-made hybrids. On a hillside is perched the small village of Gran Couva, which is blessed with an ocean climate and fertile soils suitable for cocoa farming. One week of fermentation and drying of these beans at the local cooperative in Montserrat yields a dark and rich cocoa, which when roasted to its full potential reveals an intense woody aroma.

The plantation from which these Trinitario beans originate is located near the Ocumare de la Costa terroir, in the centre of the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, a few kilometres from the sea, and enjoys a climate that is particularly favourable for cocoa farming. The light colour of the resulting chocolate is due to the high percentage of white beans which are characteristic of this region. Once roasted, the beans reveal their sweetness with notes of fruit, citrus fruit and vanilla.

The village of Ben Tre is located in the heart of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. Cocoa trees are cultivated there with due respect for biodiversity, under a canopy of coconut and banana trees. Careful post-harvest and roasting at moderate heat result in a dark chocolate with a well-balanced aromatic finesse. The early tart lemon/citrus notes evolve into a sweet fruity body, followed by final cocoa notes on the finish.