Finca Eucalipto - Pata Nicacio Moreano SL9 Washed

Nicacio Moreano's Eucalipto Pata lot comes from Peru's Incahuasi Valley in Cusco, where SL9 has become one of the most compelling rare varieties in the Andes. Datura's Loïc Perneau frames the story neatly: SL9 feels new to many drinkers, but it is not new at all. For years, it was known locally as Inca Gesha because of its intensely floral profile, clarity, and elegant cup structure. Several genetic analyses have since changed that story: SL9 has no meaningful genetic relation to Gesha. Instead, it appears connected to the rare Kenyan SL-09 lineage, an almost-lost East African selection that quietly survived in the Peruvian Andes.

Fully ripened cherries are floated to remove defects, then pulped into clean fermentation tanks and fermented dry in their own mucilage. The cool high-altitude climate keeps the fermentation stable, typically 24-36 hours. After washing, the parchment dries on raised beds and is turned several times a day until it reaches stable moisture.