Foxes Island Fox by John Belsham Ma Muse Marlborough Pinot Noir

John Belsham is responsible for a triumvirate of Pinot Noir, each cuvée a distinctive weld of a stable renowned for unparalleled value. Ma Muse is the old Fox that we have to come to love under a different banner. The entrée to the range, Ma Muse is an everyday Pinot Noir that drinks as well out of the cellar as it does out of the fridge, with no forfeit of crunch, succulence or complexity. And you’ll only find it at Langton’s.

Drawing on vast experience in Europe and the gorgeous surrounds of his Awaterre Estate, Belsham strives to communicate these sources of inspiration from vineyard to glass, drawing on optimally ripe fruit grown on a Pinot Noir utopia of silty loams over limestone. Attention to detail is punctuated by minimal input, sustainable accreditation and a culture that strives to protect the environmental hegemony. Not only are the wines vegan-friendly, but a percentage of the sale of each supports global reforestation.

The heritage of the region is also acknowledged. The Fox name celebrates the explorer William Fox, who named a tributary island in Marlborough Foxes Island and a glacier in the Southern Alps, Fox Glacier. As pertinent, the native botanicals depicted on the label were painted by Sarah Featon in the 19th century as part of the inaugural classification of New Zealand flora.