Finca Santa Cruz from the Chiapas region has won the 2019 Mexico Cup of Excellence (COE), with a score of 93.04 for its natural Geisha. This marks the highest score in the history of the Mexico COE.
Owner of the farm, Cruz Jose Arguello Miceli, could not participate in past years due to his position with in country partner Asociación Mexicana de la Cadena Productiva del Café (AMECAFE).
“Today, we experienced what the taste of winning in the Cup of Excellence. I receive this with deep satisfaction and a lot of pride, [raising the bar for] Mexican coffee,” Cruz says.
“The coffees of Santa Cruz are produced in very fertile lands of the Triumph Reserve Biosphere, cultivated and processed by the Argüello Enriquez family at an altitude of 1680 [metres above sea level]. The place is a paradise for its fauna and flora.”
Don Rafa farm of Chiapas placed second, with a 91.14-scoring natural Pache, and Dinastia Altermirano farm in Veracruz placed third, scoring 90.32 for its honey processed Borbón. The top five coffees all scored 90 or more in the competition.
Read more:
• Honduras Cup of Excellence awards six coffees above 90 points
• Tarrazú region dominates 2019 Costa Rica Cup of Excellence
• Cup of Excellence Colombia reports record result
While the top two farms originated from Chiapas, Veracruz dominated the competition, with seven of the 10 farms originating from the region.
“The producers of Mexico should be incredibly proud, not only of their hard work and wonderful coffee, but of the continual improvements made year by year. High standards have been set in previous competitions, and this year, Mexico once again proved a dedication to quality, excellence, and consistency,” Head Judge Eleane Mierisch says.
“The coffees are delicious, and I believe they will only continue to surprise us. Mexico offers a diversity of offerings, and I was thrilled to see so many regions, varieties, and profiles represented in this year’s COE. Congratulations to all the producers. And to all the highest bidders out there, there are true gems that will go to auction, you’re in for a real treat.”
Farmers submitted 248 samples from eight departments across México, which included numerous different varietals and blends. After careful evaluation, the jury selected 40 coffees to go to the COE Auction, with varietal including Bourbon, Catuai, Geisha, Pacas, Parainema, and Typica.
“Coffee is yet another reason to fall hard in love with Mexico. The coffees this country has to offer are super sweet daily drinkers, with the kind of profile I feel like the world – or at least my corner of the world – grew up drinking,” says Emma Chevalier, juror and Coffee Buyer for the United States-based Revelator Coffee.
“It’s exciting to finally see renewed global interest in the coffees here. The punchy Pacamaras and the delicate, floral Geishas were definitely some of the shining stars this week.”
These 2019 Mexico COE auction will open online on 11 July.
For more information, click HERE.
