About Finca Artemira

Finca Artemira is a family-run farm in Salinas, a village within the San José de Lourdes district of San Ignacio, Cajamarca. The farm is led today by Ebert Huaman Villegas, a young producer who represents a new generation of Peruvian coffee growers combining tradition, experimentation and technical precision.

Ebert is becoming known for his coffee quality and expertise in Peru. In 2022, he finished sixth in the regional Expo Cajamarca competition, while in 2023 he finished 18th in the Cup of Excellence.

The Marshell Coffee Variety

Marshell is one of the most intriguing coffees grown at Finca Artemira. Genetically, it is a rare expression of Catimor, a hybrid typically associated with disease resistance rather than cup quality. However, Marshell consistently defies those expectations, producing coffees with floral, fruity and delicate profiles that rival far more established high-end varieties.

Because its cup profile was so distinct, this Marshell was genetically tested to better understand its makeup. The results confirmed why it performs so differently from conventional Catimor selections. Its potential lies in a rare balance: strong agronomic resilience paired with unexpectedly high sensory complexity.

Marshell gained national attention in Peru after winning the 2019 Cup of Excellence, and its importance has grown steadily since. The plants at Finca Artemira are now five years old, grown from seeds originally sourced from Grimanés Morales, winner of the 2019 Cup of Excellence, whose farm is located in La Copia, San Ignacio, Cajamarca.

The variety has proven exceptionally well-adapted to the region’s climate and altitude. At Finca Artemira, Marshell is planted on a one-hectare plot located along the southwestern boundary of the farm at approximately 1,800 metres above sea level.

The main harvest runs from July through November. Flowering occurs between December and January, with cherries beginning to form in February and the final picking sometimes continuing into December.

What excites Ebert most about Marshell is its ability to compete at the highest levels while remaining productive and resilient. At the cupping table, the coffee arrived with strong expectations and fully delivered, showing a refined, fruity profile with clarity and elegance. It is a variety the family is proud to continue developing.

How Was This Coffee Processed?

This Marshell lot follows the core processing philosophy used at Finca Artemira for its higher-quality coffees, with careful adjustments made to suit the variety and climatic conditions.

Harvesting is strictly selective, with only fully ripe cherries picked. On the same day, the cherries are washed in tanks to clean them and remove floaters. The coffee then undergoes an extended fermentation designed to build complexity while maintaining clarity.

Fermentation begins with the cherries fermenting intact in a sealed tank without oxygen for approximately 24 hours. After this anaerobic stage, the cherries are pulped, leaving the parchment coated in honey, or mucilage, and exposed to the open air.

A second fermentation follows, lasting up to 72 hours in total across both stages. This slow, controlled fermentation is a defining feature of Ebert’s processing approach. Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is thoroughly washed to remove the remaining mucilage.

Drying takes place in solar dryers over 15 to 20 days, allowing the moisture content to reduce gradually and evenly. Drying is monitored carefully until the coffee stabilises between 11% and 12% moisture content.

After drying, the parchment is rested and stored in polypropylene-lined bags within a dry, controlled environment to preserve stability and cup integrity.