Niklas Rückrich

At A Glance

Field: Detail
Region: Rheinhessen, Germany
Home village: Eckelsheim
Grape focus: Riesling, Silvaner, Chardonnay and Burgundy family varieties
Named wines: Ruländer, Shiro, Akai and Spätburgunder Pinot Noir
Farming: Certified organic since 2025

The Producer

At Eckelsheim, Niklas Rückrich works as a fourth generation winegrower in Rheinhessen. He focuses on Riesling, Silvaner, Chardonnay and Burgundy family varieties. He trained for two years at three Rheinhessen wineries, then studied for three years at Geisenheim University, with internships at Wagner-Stempel, Pranzegg and Ziereisen.

He began making wine under his own direction in 2021 with less than one hectare. He now works with his father across the family vineyards, which are certified organic since 2025.

Place

The vineyards occupy the cooler, drier northwestern corner of Rheinhessen, close to the Nahe Valley. The vines grow on north facing slopes between 180 and 280 metres, with rows oriented west to east.

Cooler conditions generally slow ripening, while drier air can reduce disease pressure. North facing slopes receive less direct sun than south facing slopes, and elevation further moderates the growing conditions. Grapes from such settings can retain acidity while developing aroma gradually.

Wines

Ruländer 2022 is an orange Pinot Gris made from three lots. Forty percent received seven days of skin contact and fermented in steel, 30% received seven days of skin contact and fermented in old oak, and the final 30% was direct pressed and fermented in old oak. The three lots were blended before bottling and rested in bottle for six months.

Shiro 2023 is a white blend of 15% Riesling, 20% Silvaner, 35% Müller Thurgau and 30% Scheurebe. Three varieties fermented on their skins for seven days, while the Riesling component was direct pressed and fermented in steel.

Akai 2023 is a red blend of 40% Dornfelder, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Portugieser. The grapes received between 10 and 14 days of skin contact, with approximately 25% whole clusters. Spätburgunder Pinot Noir 2022 is made entirely from Pinot Noir and is identified as a natural wine.

In The Glass

Ruländer has a light orange colour, with fruit, grapefruit and slightly burnt sugar on the nose. The palate is fresh, straight and long.

Shiro brings apple, burnt sugar and hay in the aroma, followed by a light, fresh palate with cider like notes. Akai smells of berries and fruit, with a fresh, juicy and light palate.

The wines move between skin contact, direct pressing and whole cluster fermentation. Skin contact can add colour and tannin to white grapes, while direct pressing keeps the juice pale and more immediate. Whole clusters can bring stems into the fermenting wine, adding aromatic and textural detail.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose Niklas Rückrich Spätburgunder Pinot Noir. It is a red wine made entirely from Pinot Noir and identified as a natural wine. Pinot Noir is one of the Burgundy family grapes Rückrich focuses on, so this bottle places one variety beside Akai, where Pinot Noir is combined with Dornfelder and Portugieser.

Final Word

Rückrich works from Eckelsheim with hand harvested grapes and spontaneous fermentation. Depending on the cuvée, the wines ferment and age in used French barriques, tonneaux or stainless steel. All wines remain on their full lees for at least 11 months and are bottled without fining or filtration, with little or no added sulphur. From the 2023 vintage, the top Chardonnay, Silvaner, Riesling and Spätburgunder cuvées receive 24 months on the lees.

At A Glance

The Producer

Place

Wines

In The Glass

A Bottle To Understand It

Final Word

Sources

Where to go next