Wine: Three decadent dessert wines

Just when you’re thinking about hauling your carcass into some active wear and going for a jog (shuffle) around the block; you see a wine column singing the praises of those luxuriously decadent dessert wines you love so much. Curses!

Music Bay Autumn Marlborough Sauvignon

No mistaking which grape variety this sweet treat is made from. From the instant whiff of passionfruit curd, tangy lemon verbena, sweet cut grass and complex lime and caramelised capsicum characters, you know it's a rare example of dessert sauvignon blanc. It has a crazy spectrum of flavours that will polarise people; but at this price I encourage you to give it a nudge.

Price: $18 (375ml)

Johanneshof Noble Late Harvest Marlborough Riesling 2011
Amber-pink gold and glistening in the glass, there are just minute amounts available of this wine, which has gathered enough gold medals and accolades, the maintenance guy at Johnanneshof has had to strengthen the prize cupboard in the pool room. With classic toffee and manuka honey glaze alongside a hint of beeswax on the nose and palate, it's massively sweet but carries a hefty vein of acidity to freshen and "tang" things up. Love it.

Price: $27 (375ml)

Pegasus Bay Waipara Barrique Fermented Noble Semillon Sauvignon 2011

Wow! I love the amber-topaz colour of this glossy dessert wine. It smells like honey
drizzled over oatcakes and there's an exotic toffee note cloaking baked stonefruit and an intense sweetness encasing a monster 14.5 per cent alcohol. Wild yeast fermented and ageing for two years in barrel has created an un-put-downably delicious wine with a squeak of apricot and caramelised cinnamon sugar on crumpets. Dangerously good.

Price: $37 (375ml)