New map of the Douro offered by Christie’s

A new map of the Douro Valley will be auctioned alongside a 12 bottle vertical of Quinta do Noval from 1937 to 2003 by Christie’s this June.

A further six lots of Port from Noval, Taylor’s, Graham’s and Fonseca will go under the hammer at the sale.

Christie’s specialist, Noah May, said they made a “fitting backdrop” to the sale of the vertical and signed copy of the original map, which are expected to fetch £5,400 to £6,200.

The map (above) is the work of English writer and artist David Eley and measures 3.2 metres by 1.1m. It is decorated with 130 illustrations depicting the principal winemaking quintas as well as local flora and fauna of northern Portugal.

The work is directly inspired by the maps created by Joseph James Forrester, who famously mapped the Douro in the 1830s (see below).

Eley said: The Douro is the oldest formally demarcated wine region in the world and its wines the equal of Bordeaux and Burgundy Grand Cru, in creating this map I wish to define a 21st century Douro and lend a pictorial narrative to Port’s majestic origins.”

The Quinta do Noval being sold alongside the map includes: one bottle each of 1994 and 1997 Nacional and two bottles each of 2000 and 2003 Nacional; one bottle apiece of 2000 and 2003 Quinta do Noval; one bottle each of the 1937 and 1997 Colheita and two bottles of Colheita 1968.

The sale will take place in London on 6 June. It will feature 703 lots in total and is expected to realise £1 million.

One of Forrester’s maps of the Douro