The farm’s history begins in 1830, when Francisco Ribeiro do Valle arrived in the region coming from São João del Rei and took over what was then known as Jacuba Farm, which would later become Monte Alto Farm.
The property was inherited by his son, the Baron of Guaxupé, and afterwards by his descendants, who kept the tradition of coffee cultivation.
Today the Monte Alto Farm is run by Carlos Henrique Ribeiro do Valle and Marina Scognamiglio Ribeiro do Valle and their children. It is the 7th generation of the family, which is still committed to the noble task of growing high quality coffee, with dedication and professionalism.
Social Responsibility
Later, as of 2010, Monte Alto Farm has begun to promote activities, courses, and workshops in the socio-environmental area, to contribute to the settlers’ education.
In the social area programs were also offered, such as computing, library, recreation, hapkidô, horseback riding, community therapy, women’s conversation circle, and reuse of food.
Environmental Area
In the environmental area it is first of all relevant to emphasize the fact that Monte Alto Farm owns and protects an important Atlantic Forest fragment, the original one in the country.
To maintain the environmental reserve preservation in the region, a native tree nursery was set up and the farm has started to distribute these seedlings to the entire local community.
In addition, courses on “Riverhead Recovery”, “Growing an Organic Vegetable Gardening”, and “Composting” have been offered to the farm’s residents, with the aim of contributing to the maintenance of the three existing springs on the site.
Apart from protecting the flora and the water springs, there is also a comprehensive program of cataloging and protection of animal species carried out by a biologist who monitors the property.
With the focus on bird life, this dedicated work has managed to observe and classify more than 200 different species of birds, including hawks, hummingbirds, herons, toucans, seriemas, and several others.
The extensive environmental and social work undertaken by Monte Alto is a source of great pride and recognition from our employees, partners, and customers.
Search for Excellence
The search for excellence is present in all production stages of Montanhas do Barão Coffee. From the bean to the cup, the focus is on quality with sustainability.
Thus, coffee varieties such as Bourbon, Yellow Catuaí, Red Catuaí, Icatu, and Mundo Novo are grown at high altitudes, according to the most modern production techniques.
After being harvested, the coffee beans are dried on terraces under full sun and also in rotary dryers, which standardize the drying of the beans.
The Monte Alto Farm’s yard, in an exclusive oval shape that resembles a coffee bean, has 10,000 m² and is located in one of the highest points of the property, with ideal sunlight and ventilation.
In this way, all the coffee processing takes place inside the farm, with total traceability.
Aromas and flavors
Our coffees offer a wide range of very distinctive aromas and flavors, in addition to unique sensory nuances, which are especially perceived when tasting the beverage.
The Montanhas do Barão coffees bring the aroma and flavor of yellow fruits, floral, chocolate, nuts and honey; citric acidity, creaminess, and a long and sweet finish.
Awards and Certifications
Part of our specialty coffees are processed in small batches, in suspended terraces, in a handcrafted manner, through a meticulous quality control, in order to achieve excellence.
This is how one of our microlots won third place in the Cup of Excellence Competition, one of the main specialty coffee competitions in the world.
The coffees from Monte Alto Farm were also recognized in important quality contests in Brazil, such as the Certifica Minas contest and the Ernesto Illy Prize, which has recently awarded our coffee as “The Best of South of Minas Gerais” (State).
In addition to these awards, our coffees also hold relevant quality certifications, such as UTZ, 4C and Certifica Minas, as well as BSCA seals.
