CIAÜLÀ 2022 – Vin de France (Grenache & Syrah) | Domaine de l’Agramante

Overview

CIAÜLÀ 2022 embodies the purest soul of the Southern Rhône, crafted from old vines of Grenache (60%) and Syrah (40%) growing on sandy-limestone terraces. This cuvée celebrates biodiversity and artisanal winemaking, with parcel-by-parcel vinification and long maceration giving both structure and depth. Produced in only 5,300 bottles, CIAÜLÀ combines strength and freshness, tradition and modernity, under the hand of Carlo La Rocca, the visionary winemaker behind Domaine de l’Agramante.

A project bridging Sicily and the Rhône

The name CIAÜLÀ recalls Carlo La Rocca’s Sicilian roots and his literary sensibility: a direct reference to Luigi Pirandello’s novella, symbolizing rediscovery and wonder towards nature. At the same time, this wine is the fruit of another land, the Rhône Valley, where Carlo chose to put down roots and build his future. These two souls – Mediterranean and French – meet in the glass, telling a story of migration, courage, and freedom.

The terroir of sandy-limestone terraces

The vineyards of CIAÜLÀ grow on sandy-limestone terraces, a soil type that imparts freshness and verticality, even under the bright Rhône sun. With an average age of 45 years, these vines are a living heritage, resilient and able to convey rare nuances. Farmed with natural and environmentally respectful methods, they embody a delicate balance between richness and finesse, intensity and drinkability.

Respectful and precise winemaking

Each grape variety and parcel is vinified separately to preserve individual expression before the final blend. After destemming, fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures, with around 24 days of maceration and daily pump-overs to extract flavor and structure without losing balance. The cuvées are then aged 10 months in stainless steel, blended, and bottled without fining or filtration. Sulfur use is minimal, limited to small protective doses.

Sensory and expressive profile

CIAÜLÀ 2022 shows a vibrant, intense color and an aromatic bouquet of ripe red fruit, Mediterranean spices, balsamic notes, and floral touches. On the palate, it is generous and enveloping, with silky tannins and lively freshness sustaining the finish. Grenache contributes warmth and roundness, while Syrah adds depth and spice, creating perfect harmony. A convivial wine, yet structured enough to evolve beautifully in bottle.

A wine for sharing

With its 5,300 bottles produced, CIAÜLÀ 2022 is a rare and precious wine, designed for those who seek authenticity. Perfect at the table with flavorful Mediterranean or French cuisine, but also suitable for contemplation, for those who want emotion and truth in their glass. CIAÜLÀ is more than wine – it is a declaration of intent, the outcome of a life choice that unites passion, culture, and respect for the land.

Technical Sheet

• Producer: Domaine de l’Agramante

• Region: Southern Rhône

• Varieties: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah (old vine selection)

• Appellation: Vin de France

• Vineyard size: 1.5 ha

• Soil: Sandy-limestone terraces

• Average vine age: 45 years

• Viticulture: Natural, sustainable

• Harvest: Manual

• Vinification: Parcel-based, destemming, controlled fermentation, ~24-day maceration with daily pump-overs

• Aging: 10 months in stainless steel, blending and bottling

• Fining: No

• Filtration: No

• SO2: Minimal

• Production: 5,300 bottles

Domaine de l’Agramante – The story of a dream

The Domaine de l’Agramante was born in 2018 in Sabran, in the southern Rhône Valley, as the result of a personal journey even before an agricultural one. At its heart lies Carlo La Rocca, a young Sicilian engineer who, after fifteen years in the petrochemical industry, felt the need to radically change his life.

The search for freedom, the desire for authenticity, and a deep attraction to the world of wine—until then cultivated quietly—became a call that could no longer be ignored.

Carlo abandoned a well-established career to embrace uncertainty with courage, convinced that working the land could restore a deeper sense of time and meaning to his life.

The name of the estate carries both emotional and cultural roots: Agramante is the King of Africa described by Ariosto in Orlando Innamorato, a fierce and powerful character who, for Carlo, recalls the stories his father told upon returning from numerous trips to Africa, as well as the Sicilian puppet theatre of his childhood.

The choice of this name was far from accidental: Agramante symbolizes both imagination and freedom, childhood memories and a spirit of adventure. Giving the domaine this name meant binding his personal history to his new project, crafting wines that carry with them memory, tradition, and a strong individual identity.

The transformation from engineer to winemaker did not come by chance but through rigorous training. Carlo studied for two years in Beaune, the heart of Burgundian viticulture, where he built technical knowledge and sharpened his sensitivity.

A decisive role was played by the Thibon-Maccagno family of Mas de Libian, renowned Rhône vignerons who hosted him in their cellar and allowed him to vinify there for two years.

This collaboration was not merely practical support but a true apprenticeship, where Carlo learned to respect the land, to care for details, and to build coherence between the vineyard and the bottle. These lessons shaped the foundation and philosophy of the Domaine de l’Agramante.

Philosophy in the vineyard

From an agronomic perspective, the estate has grown quickly yet consistently with its principles of sustainability. In 2019 it expanded from 1.2 to 4.25 hectares of vineyards, planted on sandy-silty terraces.

Soil vitality is maintained with cover crops, enriching the earth with organic matter and improving structure.

Treatments are limited to copper and sulfur when strictly necessary, while vineyard work is carried out manually with the utmost respect for the vines.

Harvest is performed exclusively by hand, in small crates, allowing careful grape selection and preserving the integrity of the fruit—an essential step to ensure expressive, high-quality wines.

Winemaking approach

Vinification follows the same philosophy of respect and precision. After complete destemming, the grapes are only partially crushed to preserve freshness and aromatic potential.

During fermentation, the must undergoes daily pump-overs, gently extracting color, tannins, and aromatic compounds without forcing balance.

Maceration is deliberately limited to twelve days, a choice reflecting Carlo’s intention to privilege finesse and drinkability over sheer power. Alcoholic fermentation is followed spontaneously by malolactic fermentation, bringing smoothness and harmony.

After fermentation, the wine is separated from the coarse lees, but remains in contact with the fine lees, which nurture and enrich its complexity during aging. Clarification happens naturally through sedimentation, with no invasive interventions.

Only before bottling is a minimal dose of sulfur added, between 10 and 15 mg/L, sufficient for stability without altering purity. Every step, from vineyard to bottle, is guided by a single principle: accompany the wine without forcing it, allowing the terroir to speak.

The result is a young project already defined by strong identity, combining Carlo’s Mediterranean energy with the Rhône’s artisanal traditions.

The wines of Domaine de l’Agramante stand out for their authenticity, respect for raw material, and their ability to express the character of sandy-silty soils.

These are not crafted or manipulated wines, but sincere expressions of a human and cultural journey: bottles that tell the story of a life choice, the echo of family traditions, and the desire for freedom that has guided Carlo La Rocca through this remarkable adventure.