Country: Costa Rica
Producer: Alan Vargas & Tomas Gutierrez
Farm: San Juanillo Platanillo
Region: West Valley
Variety: Marsellesa
Process: Red Honey
Altitude: 1,400–1,500m
Harvest: 2025

Finca V&G San Juanillo was founded in 2007 by agronomist Tomas Gutierrez and industrial engineer Alan Vargas. They purchased this farm in San Juanillo, Naranjo, with a shared vision of creating a modern, sustainable model farm for coffee cultivation.
While grounded in scientific principles, they actively adopt best agricultural practices, including the introduction of hybrid varieties, advanced cultivation techniques, and precision fertilization. At the same time, they remain committed to environmental stewardship—the farm is Rainforest Alliance certified.
As part of their quality improvement initiative, they have implemented a program to gradually replace traditional Caturra and Catuai varieties (both highly susceptible to leaf rust) with more productive, rust-resistant varieties. Their goal is to establish a model for high-quality, sustainable coffee production through optimal crop management and soil stewardship.

Their passion for coffee production remains strong. In 2018, they expanded the farm by acquiring an additional 8.5 hectares of adjacent land. Today, approximately 80% of the farm has been replanted with Marsellesa and other hybrid varieties, with production expected to increase over the next three years.
A major milestone came with their first participation in the Cup of Excellence during the 2014–2015 harvest. Using the new H1 (Central America Hybrid) variety, they placed 19th out of 144 coffees, and in the following 2015–2016 harvest, they again ranked in the top 44. With pride as high-quality coffee producers, they continue to invest in and innovate at Finca V&G San Juanillo to deliver the finest quality to their customers.

About San Juanillo Farm
Located at 1,400 meters above sea level, San Juanillo Farm is managed by Tomas and Alan with a scientific approach, conducting detailed soil and leaf analyses to guide their cultivation practices. Based on these analyses, they determine the precise nutrients required by the farm and apply fertilizers three times per year while maintaining a commitment to sustainability.
Currently, Tomas focuses on cultivating climate-resilient varieties such as H1, H17, and Marsellesa. With an emphasis on sustainable agriculture, they have conducted multi-year trials using various agricultural inputs to improve quality and productivity. One notable result was an increase of more than one point in cupping scores through the use of foliar biostimulants.
Red Honey Process
For the H1 and Marsellesa varieties, the experts at Platanillo have chosen the Dark Honey process to enhance deeper flavors, sweetness, and body. Harvested cherries are rested for 24 hours to initiate fermentation until the fruit softens. They are then depulped while intentionally retaining mucilage on the parchment. The coffee is subsequently dried on concrete patios for two days to halt fermentation, then transferred to raised beds where it dries for 15 days with frequent turning to reach optimal moisture content.