Maria Christina's coffee smelled of rustic roast tones at City+ and Full City, cocoa-laden and bittersweet, accented by hints of peanut cookie, and molasses. I found the sweetness to be a little more convincing in the wet aroma, though still outweighed by deep low-toned bittering notes. When hot, this coffee shows dark cocoa flavors with some bittering in the mouthfeel, roasted cacao nibs, and a lactic aspect like chocolate milk. There's a touch of sweetness as the coffee cools, along with notes of coconut chips, a rustic leathery accent, and dark, smokey finish. Full City+ roasts highlight substantial body, and punchy bittersweetness that will cut through milk. Espresso shots are intensely bittersweet, tangy up front, with velvety texture leading to a long finish of dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, and apple wood smoke. 

Santa Maria do Vintém farm is located in the Vintém neighborhood of Santa Rita do Sapucaí, a historical center for Santa Rita where some of the fist settlers built homes. The farm is run by a mother and daughter team, Maria Christina and Maria Stella, who are the 4th and 5th generation respectively to work this land. We weren't able to stop there on our visit last August, but are told that it's 22 hectares in size, 1100-1300 meters above sea level and is planted mostly in Catuaí. This is a dry process lot, meaning the whole coffee cherry is dried with the seeds still intact. In some parts of the world, this leads to fruit flavors in the cup. In Brazil, however, this process method tends to have more of an impact on body. While Santa Maria's coffee does show a hint of fruit, we found it to be based in bittersweetness, with heavy body that works wonders as espresso. When roasting, expect more chaff than a wet process coffee, as well as uneven roast coloring (especially when roasted to City+). We also notice the cup flavors seem to fall into place with at least 48 hours rest after roasting.