Some of Australia's best after-dinner delights.

Despite having a long history of producing dome of the world’s best fortified wines, they are lucky to be given a tiny amount of shelf space in most bottle shops.

Often this is because fortifieds are considered the domain of a sherry sipping nana but there are some amazing drops out there just waiting to be found.

A good fortified wine can easily take the place of a brandy or cognac and gives you the chance to buy local.

So why not sit back, crack open the cheese (or chocolate – both are perfect partners) and redress the balance.

Sandalford Sandalera ($95)

Over the years the Sandalera has won many awards for Sandalford and it is easy to see why.

This sumptuous tokay is pure heaven in a glass and is one of the best wines Western Australia has to offer.

Everything which is good about fortifieds lies within this bottle. Thick gooey raisins, toffee and syrupy pudding vie for attention and make this a meal in itself.

This is up there with fellow Swan Valley fortified big hitters Talijancich and John Kosovich and makes the region a force to be reckoned with.

All Saints

There are few vineyards in Australia which can boast the history of the All Saints winery in the Rutherglen.

Dating back to 1864, All Saints produced the first Australian wine to win an international gold medal nine years later in 1873.

It produces a massive range of wine and is easily one of the best and most highly regarded when it comes to fortifieds. The range of muscats is no exception.

They are made using the solero style of adding current vintages to older vintages, some of which date back more than 80 years, which means you get a piece of history in every glass.

The Rutherglen Muscat ($22) has at least six years under its belt and already shows some richness and robustness many in this price bracket can only dream about. Lots of toffee and pudding to be had.

Moving up to the Grand Rutherglen Muscat ($70) gives you a few more years from the source material, which brings more depth and texture. Not so easy to toss back, this is best savoured to get the full raisin cake flavours and toffee flavours.

The Rare Rutherglen Muscat ($115) sees the toffee become a crème brûlée, The texture is thick and opulent, the taste is full, rich with cake and just keeps giving.

But for the ultimate indulgence, the Museum Release ($1000) could possibly be the king of Australian fortifieds.

Considering the source wine dates back 85 years, it is no surprise this has masses of depth. Utterly rich, yet still not intense, this coats your mouth with its opulence and as it gradually dissipates, reveals the characters of the younger wines. It does not pull any punches.

The only down side is that only a handful of bottles are released each year, hence the somewhat hefty price tag.

It’s a serious price but for the more indulgent fortified fans out there, it is one which will linger in the memory for a long time.

Hampton Estate Romina 2009

Hampton Estate in the Perth Hills deals mainly in shiraz (along with some fine olive oil) and this fortified shiraz shows the decision to specialise is paying off.

Many fortified shirazes end up having an intense blackcurrant blast which makes me think of undiluted Ribena  and although I’m sure this is a big draw for many people, I find it just too overpowering.

Fortunately Hampton Estate’s Romina is much more subtle and takes its influence from a traditional port.

There is plenty of tobacco and mocha to this stylish and with such woody undertones you can almost taste the barrel. The berries do push through however and linger long after the last mouthful.

It is far less intense than many fortifieds but loses none of the richness.

Swooping Magpie

The Swooping Magpie muscat ($19) has plenty of the rich stylings of this luscious variety but lacks some of the depth which comes with age but that can be easily forgiven considering its relative youthfulness.

There are classic raisins and tobacco tastes which fill the mouth with a lovely thick vapour, leaving a satisfying damson aftertaste.

The 2004 Liqueur Tawny has a few more layers to it. This intriguing blend of Touriga Nacional, Souzao, Tinta Cao and shiraz is very much in the traditional Portuguese style but with a twist.

Smoky and finely layered, it pays to really swish this around  your mouth to get the best out of it.