Costa Rica Volcan Azul Villa Sarchi Warm Anaerobic

Maple Syrup, Maraschino Cherry, Milky Body, Citric Acid The words warm anaerobic may immediately make you think of funky, boozy tones, but this is not a George Clinton cup. It’s refined and restrained, with just enough quirk to undercut the elegance—kind of like Jeff Bridges in a tuxedo. It comes from Volcan Azul, a Central Valley farm on the slopes of the Poás Volcano that has placed in the Cup of Excellence multiple times. Volcan Azulspecializes in high-end microlots, and this one lands squarely in that category. Villa Sarchi is the variety here—an indigenous cultivar that, in a stunning name-based coincidence, was discovered in the town of Sarchi. It produces cups with deep sweetness and sparkling acidity. The Volcan Azul crew did a bang-up job putting this lot through oxygen-deprived fermentation at an elevated ambient temperature. Hence, warm anaerobic. There’s a lot of sweetness happening in this guy. The aroma packs punches of maple syrup and cherry, and both tones translate sea