Until not so many years ago, Planeta was probably the only Sicilian winery that most people — even many wine professionals — could name. In the last few years, there have been a lot of new names and wines coming from Sicily — many of which are very good and helping to shatter the longstanding, oversimplified image of Sicily as too hot to make good wine. But it sure does seem like Planeta paved the way for those other labels — by pushing for quality, updating vineyard and winery techniques, and examining the terroir of the entire region.

Since the mid-1980s, three members of the Planeta family (Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta) have been enthusiastically exploring and enhancing Sicily’s unique contributions to the world of wine, and building the Planeta family of wines. The Planeta wines start with an estate vineyard in the Sambuca di Sicilia region of western Sicily that the Planeta family has owned since the 1600s, and now encircles this mountainous island to include vineyards and wineries at points all along the coast.

I had the opportunity this summer to attend a tasting celebrating the 10th anniversary of Planeta’s Santa Cecilia Nero d’Avola. There Francesca Planeta presented the 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2006 vintages of the wine along with a fascinating account of the family’s search to match the diverse, if poor, Sicilian soils with both indigenous and international grape varieties.

As a (double) bonus, we started with two whites — the 2001 Cometa, made from Fiano grapes, which I thought was extraordinarily interesting and good. And the 2000 Chardonnay, which was drinking like some beautifully aged Burgundy, full of harmonious fruit and mineral and oak (in that order, still!). Here are my notes:

Planeta 2001 Cometa Sicilia ($N/A). Grilled pineapple aromas and flavors, with crisp acidity and flinty mineral notes from beginning to end, and lush peachy fruit mid-palate. Full bodied, lightly spicy, and with a sense of delicacy and freshness. Loved it. Drinking beautifully now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Planeta 2000 Chardonnay Sicilia ($N/A). Lots of fruit still showing in this knockout wine, with lush apple and tropical melon and citrus fruit, a firm mineral line, and plenty of honeyed oak influence — vanilla and toasted brown sugar and rich spices — that linger on a complex finish. Very good now and over the next few years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Planeta 2006 Nero d’Avola Sicilia Santa Cecilia ($39). Silky and full-bodied, with subtle tobacco and licorice accents to the ripe blueberry, plum and fig jam flavors. Picks up rich chocolate on the long finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Planeta 2005 Nero d’Avola Sicilia Santa Cecilia ($39). Full and plummy, with juniper and spice accents to the concentrated cherry, plum and dried berry fruit. With a long, smooth, spicy, mocha-laced finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Planeta 2002 Nero d’Avola Sicilia Santa Cecilia ($N/A). Black fruits are prevalent here – deep plum, blackberry, black cherry — with lively acidity and a smoky tobacco note that mellows into dark chocolate on the finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Planeta 2000 Nero d’Avola Sicilia Santa Cecilia ($N/A). Surprisingly bright and even vibrant, with integrated, concentrated black fruits, mineral, acid and oak, and a smooth finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Planeta 1998 Nero d’Avola Sicilia Santa Cecilia($N/A). Definitely showing its age, but still imminently drinkable, with integrated dark, somewhat dried fruit character and doses of acidity, mineral, dry spices and pepper lingering on the harmonious finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Planeta is imported by Palm Bay Imports.