Origin: Finca La Marquesa/Kilometro Cafe
Producer: Hubert Ontaneda & Gabriela Correa Rojas
Region: San Pedro de Vilcabamba Valley, Loja, Ecuador
Altitude: 1,650 MASL
Cupping Score: 85+
Process: Washed
Price: $12.55/lb | 22lb Box: $276.10
Finca La Marquesa was founded in 2015 by Ximena León with a dream of bringing Ecuador’s coffee to the world—a passion she inherited from her father, who spent over six decades in coffee. Together with her husband, Hubert Ontaneda, Ximena transformed a 3.5-hectare hillside farm in San Pedro de Vilcabamba, Loja – perched at 1650 meters above sea level – into a haven of quality and experimentation. Early on, they embraced new varietals like Sidra and Typica (including both the cherished local “Typica Nacional” and an improved “Typica Mejorado” strain) that promised to revolutionize Ecuador’s coffee profile. The journey was not easy – years of hands-on learning and trials went into achieving true specialty quality – but that persistence is now paying off, as La Marquesa’s small-batch coffees are finally making their mark beyond Ecuador’s borders.
In each harvest, Ximena and Hubert marry traditional know-how with fearless innovation. They apply meticulous care at every step – from selectively hand-picking only the ripest cherries to pioneering advanced fermentation methods. For example, many of their microlots undergo carbonic maceration, a specialized anaerobic fermentation that amplifies vivid fruit flavors. Coupled with the valley’s unique terroir – dry mountain air and mineral-rich soils that slow down cherry maturation – such methods yield coffees of remarkable complexity. The result is a dynamic, expressive cup bursting with notes of blood orange and guava candy, a silky-smooth texture, and bright, sparkling acidity.
La Marquesa stands at the forefront of Ecuador’s emerging specialty coffee movement. The passion and creativity poured into this small farm prove that world-class coffee can flourish even in remote corners of the Andes. By bringing this lot to the U.S. market, Ximena and Hubert invite coffee lovers to experience not only an exceptional flavor journey, but also the genuine legacy of dedication and craftsmanship behind it.