Planeta's flagship Nero d'Avola from the white limestone soils of Noto in south-east Sicily. Twelve months in French oak give a bold, balsamic red of black cherry, blackberry and bergamot with firm, measured tannin. Drinks now, cellars 4 to 5 years.
Santa Cecilia is Planeta's top red from the white limestone soils of Noto. Expect Mediterranean macchia, sour cherry and bergamot over French oak, with dense but measured tannin.
The nose moves between Mediterranean macchia and balsamic herb, sour cherry steeped in spirit, very ripe blackberry and a streak of bergamot and bitter orange. Vivino drinkers most often log blackberry, oak and leather, while Planeta adds carob and incense.
Bergamot
Black cherry
Blackberry
Plum
Leather
Oak
Black pepper
Liquorice
ChocolateWarm and densely textured, the ripe black fruit carried by 12 months in French oak barrique, a third of it new. Tannin is dense but measured, with liquorice, leather and a graphite edge that speaks of the white limestone soils of Noto.
Long and savoury, with balsamic Mediterranean herb, sweet French oak and dark fruit holding to a fresh, lightly minty close.
Planeta's top-of-range red and Sicily's benchmark Nero d'Avola, rated 4.0 across nearly 9,800 Vivino ratings and 92 to 94 points by the major critics for 2020. Built for the table now, it rewards 4 to 5 years in the cellar.
Current UK listings run from the 2022 in standard 750ml to 2020 and 2021 magnums. Prices reflect Planeta's flagship positioning and the wine's 92 to 94 point critic reception.
A food-friendly, age-worthy flagship rather than an everyday pour: strong on occasion and cellar, fair on value for a 92 to 94 point Nero d'Avola.
Medium to high tannin, bright Noto acidity and a balsamic, savoury core make Santa Cecilia a natural with grilled and braised red meat, game and aged pecorino.
A flagship Noto Nero d'Avola with 92 to 94 point reviews and sought-after magnums, Santa Cecilia is built for special bottles and the table that matters.
Noto DOC structure, 12 months in French oak and firm tannin let it hold 4 to 5 years easily, with strong vintages such as 2020 keeping a decade.
At about 32 pounds for a 92 to 94 point flagship Nero d'Avola, fair rather than bargain value; Sicilian reds still undercut Tuscan and Piedmont names of similar standing.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Noto denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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Noto's warm, dry, ventilated climate ripens Nero d'Avola most years. The acclaimed 2020 earned 92 to 94 points across the major critics; 2021 and 2022 are fresher, slightly firmer reds.
A hot, dry Sicilian 2022 gave ripe, structured Nero d'Avola: deep black fruit with firm tannin that wants a year or two to settle. Drink from 2025.
A warm, low-yielding 2021 in Noto produced concentrated, well-coloured Nero d'Avola with ripe tannin. Already approachable, holding through the late 2020s.
A balanced, broadly acclaimed 2020: James Suckling and Wine Advocate scored Santa Cecilia 93 and Wine Enthusiast 94. The most age-worthy of the current releases.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Old Nero d'Avola vines on the Buonivini, Zuppardo and Agliastro plots, organic SOStain farming and 12 months in French oak barrique underpin Santa Cecilia's standing as Sicily's reference red.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Noto is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Noto falls within Sicily , covering Sicily.
Planeta selects fruit from low-altitude white-limestone vineyards in Noto, the variety's original home; single-estate sourcing lifts cost well above bulk Sicilian Nero d'Avola.
Maturation in French barrique, one third renewed annually, adds barrel and cellar cost that a steel-aged Nero d'Avola avoids.
Cover crops, beneficial insects and only small amounts of copper and sulphur raise vineyard labour and certification cost versus conventional farming.
James Suckling, Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast rated the 2020 between 92 and 94, supporting Santa Cecilia's price as Sicily's reference red.
At 13.5% the still-wine duty of 2.67 pounds plus 20% VAT accounts for roughly 8 pounds of a 32 pound UK shelf price before the retailer's margin.
Sicilian reds still sell under Tuscan and Piedmontese wines of similar critical standing, so Santa Cecilia offers more structure per pound than its scores alone suggest.
Dishes that complement this wine
Santa Cecilia's tannin and roughly 13.5% warmth suit chargrilled and braised red meat, while its balsamic, earthy edge bridges porcini risotto and aged pecorino.
Dense, measured tannin needs protein and fat to soften. Chargrilled steak and lamb give Santa Cecilia something to grip, and the wine's warmth carries the char.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Ribeye steak · Sirloin steak · Leg of lamb · More pairings →
The wine's full body and 13.5% weight match slow-cooked richness. Long-braised meat mirrors its dense texture rather than being flattened by the tannin.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
Balsamic, earthy leather notes bridge mushroom umami. The savoury edge of Nero d'Avola echoes porcini and truffle without overwhelming the rice.
Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · Truffle risotto · Pumpkin risotto · More pairings →
Tannin and acidity cut through the fat and salt of aged cheese. The wine's ripe fruit balances a mature pecorino or a strong, crystalline hard cheese.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Strong cheddar cheese · Blue cheese
Moderate acidity meets tomato, and the regional affinity is real: this wine grew beside Sicily's aubergine and baked-pasta cooking. Fruit and savour both land.
Try with: Eggplant parmesan · Sfincione, Sicilian Pizza · More pairings →
Tannin and oak overwhelm delicate white fish and raw shellfish, turning them metallic. Chilli heat also amplifies the wine's 13.5% warmth, so keep the heat low.
Skip with: Squid ink risotto · Sweet and sour pork · Szechuan beef · raw oysters · Pairing guide →
The wine drinks well young but holds 4 to 5 years comfortably, and strong vintages like 2020 keep a decade. Magnums of 2020 and 2021 are the format collectors chase.
Peak around 2027. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Noto DOC structure, 12 months in French oak and firm tannin let it hold 4 to 5 years easily, with strong vintages such as 2020 keeping a decade.
£31.79 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:32 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is 100% Nero d'Avola, grown in the Noto DOC zone of south-east Sicily, the original home of the variety. Santa Cecilia is Planeta's top-of-the-range red, first made in 1997.
Bold and balsamic: black cherry, ripe blackberry and bergamot lead, over liquorice, leather and sweet French oak. The palate is warm and densely textured with dense but measured tannin.
Chargrilled steak, braised beef, lamb ragu and porcini risotto. Its tannin and roughly 13.5% structure handle red meat and game, while its earthy edge bridges mushroom and aged pecorino.
Serve at 18 to 20C in a large bowled glass. A short decant helps younger vintages open, and the oak and fruit settle within the first half hour.
Yes. It drinks well on release but the structure holds 4 to 5 years easily, and strong vintages such as 2020 keep a decade. Cellar at a steady cool temperature.
Yes. Planeta farms its Noto vineyards organically under the SOStain sustainability protocol, using cover crops and only small amounts of copper and sulphur.
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