CHAPADA DIAMANTINA
Part of the Caatinga biome, (Caatinga is Tupifor “white forest”), the Chapada Diamantina mountains rise above the vast arid lands of central Bahia, providing a unique microclimate of cooler temperatures, higher rainfall, and mineral-rich soils.
This terroir combined with the fully washed processing method typical of the region produces coffees that are bright, clean and complex, with molasses sweetness and notes of citrus.
The municipality of Piatã is the center of coffee production in the region and has become synonymous with high-quality coffee. This is due not only to its unique terroir, but to the growers of the region who decided over the past several decades to compete on quality rather than quantity.
At 13 to 14 °S, the latitude of the region is quite low for Brazil, lower than any other major Arabica-producing region in the country. In fact, the latitude, which is known for its Canephora (Robusta) production, is very close to that of the Matas de Rondônia region deep in the Amazon. However, the Rondônia a low altitude humid jungle, with climates and soils vastly different from the Chapada Diamantina, which is over 1,400 m in many places.
