SK ViticultoresShukhrat Khakimov
Shukhrat Khakimov came from Asia travelling the other end of the old Silk Road to Alicante. Born in Kazakhstan, he trained in viticulture and oenology in Angers (France), at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy). He decided to stay in Spain and, in 2017, founded his own project in Planes, in El Comtat. The result is SK Viticultores: natural biodynamic wines, with Viognier and Alicante Bouschet from singular vineyards of inland Valencian Community.
El Comtat is a region in northern Alicante with strictly dry-farmed vineyards at ~600 m altitude. The plots SK Viticultores works with are in the hands of trusted growers who farm with biodynamic and organic methods. Poor soils, limited production, inland Mediterranean character with extreme temperatures.
- The collaborating growers farm with biodynamic and organic methods
- Respectful viticulture: no irrigation, dry-farmed at ~600 m altitude
- Minimal-intervention winemaking: no added sulphites, all processes manual
- Concrete tanks, stainless steel and French oak barrels
- Variedades: Viognier, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Franc, Tardana, Moravia Agria, Monastrell
SK Viticultores is a project born from the passion for the singular vineyards of the Levante. Shukhrat brings together a team of winemakers and wine enthusiasts to make wines that show the authentic character of each plot. SK&V is organised into five projects, including TEO/031, GGaspi (garage wines made in Ontinyent), La Bella Ancestral (an ancestral of Moravia Agria) and Villana (Tardana). A single criterion: absolute respect for the vine and the territory.
El Comtat is one of the least-known wine-growing regions of the Levante. Its altitudes —between 500 and 700 m— generate a notable thermal range that preserves the natural acidity of the grapes despite the hot Mediterranean climate. SK Viticultores' project highlights varieties such as Tardana and Moravia Agria, uncommon in the area, and works them alongside better-known varieties such as Viognier and Monastrell.
The collection at Terroir Radical
A makeover for his young Viognier, which is now El Sofre and arrives in a clear bottle to stand out as it deserves.
Intense golden-yellow colour, in a clear bottle that shows off the colour. Aromatic, perfumed nose —ripe tropical fruit, yellow peach, lemon peel—, with low sulphites (12 mg/L). Dense, expressive palate, medium-to-full body. Another interpretation of the Alicante Viognier, sister to NOGUERA, of a different, more concentrated character.
His 100% Viognier aged in barrel. A limited edition of a wine that sells out every year and that already has an award granted by the Alicante Sommeliers' Association. The labels were drawn by Teo, Shukhrat's eldest son, during lockdown, when he was 2 years old.
Bright golden-yellow colour. Intense nose of ripe apricot, yellow flowers, melon and mineral notes from Alicante. Broad, generous palate, moderate acidity, long, aromatic aftertaste. A Mediterranean Viognier different from the northern models: sunnier and warmer, with low sulphites (12 mg/L).
The name of the 2023 vintage of his long-standing 031. Shukhrat's first biodynamic wine project, made from strictly dry-farmed vineyards in the valley of the Almudaina, Xarpolar, Cantacuc and La Albureca ranges, in northern Alicante.
Deep garnet colour. Complex nose of green pepper, black cherries, blackcurrant and minerals. Elegant, balanced palate: the Cabernet Franc brings freshness and finesse to the dense tannins of the Alicante Bouschet, low sulphites (12 mg/L). Long, spicy finish. The finest wine in the 031 collection.
Editorial note
The paths of Terroir Radical and SK Viticultores first crossed at a wine fair, without making contact. Some time later, at a tasting in Ontinyent, a white revealed Shukhrat's unmistakable profile. A mutual friend made the introduction. When they finally met, the two had been following each other's trail without meeting. Some additions to the catalogue arrive like this: without hurry, but without getting lost.
— Terroir Radical