Probably the oldest and certainly among the most important bodegas in Jerez, the story of this firm goes back to the XVIII century and the arrival in Jerez of an Irishman called Patrick Murphy in 1725. He came to work with timber but saw that the local wine could be a far better enterprise and established a bodega in 1730 - the date given by Domecq (not wholly inaccurately) of its foundation. Murphy made friends with a French expatriate called Juan Haurie who inherited the business after the former's death in 1762. Haurie worked hard on the ageing, storage and export of wines, and in 1791 his 5 nephews joined him in the business which they called Juan Haurie y Sobrinos. On Juan's death in 1794 the nephews inherited the bodega, but by 1814 only one, Juan Carlos Haurie survived, and he was beset by problems caused by the war with France and rented the bodega to Pedro Domecq, another expatriate Frenchman, to avoid bankruptcy.
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| Pedro Domecq Lembeye (1787-1839) |
The Domecqs, a very old family, were country aristocrats in the southern Bearn region of France who were related to the Hauries (and the Loustaus). Their motto was "Domecq oblige". Because of their position in society they felt threatened by the persecution of the French Revolution, and Pedro Domecq Lambeye went to London where he worked with the British agents for Haurie for a while before arriving in Jerez in 1816. The British agents were Gordon Murphy & Co.established by Duff Gordon, but the name was changed to Ruskin Telford & Domecq in 1809, and wound up in 1869, on the death of Ruskin. A grandson of Juan Haurie, Domecq was a very able man, and went on to acquire the bodega in 1818, renaming it Pedro Domecq in 1822. He brought a new type of still from France which he used to produce what he claimed was the first Jerez (and indeed Spanish) brandy and later launched the brand Fundador with great success in 1874.
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| The Domecq bodegas at the Puerta de Rota Jerez in an 1849 engraving |
The most important soleras were laid down by Haurie: Capuchino (1790) and Sibarita (1792) and by Pedro Domecq: Amontillado 51-1a (1830), followed by Venerable PX (1902) and La Ina (1919). With the exception of La Ina, these soleras now produce the VORS wines sold at a minimum age of 30 years - though much older. The firm went on to produce many famous brands, listed below and was the first to produce Jerez brandy on a large scale. They were also the owners of extensive vineyard, mostly in the important pago Macharnudo where they owned the Castle and the Majuelo vineyard.
In 1855 Juan Pedro Domecq bought the lovely Palacio del Marques de Montana, built in 1778 and with a beautiful courtyard and detailing, and this became the seat of the Domecq dynasty, now known as the Palacio Domecq. It was restored and modified in the 1960s for commercial use. A famous resident was Jose Ignacio Domecq, a brilliant taster known to all as "La Nariz" (The Nose).
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| The Palacio de Domecq with a statue of the Marques de Casa Domecq |
During the 1950s the company expanded into South America, most notably in Mexico where Domecq still makes the leading brandy (Presidente) and operates a successful wine company, being the largest wine and spirits company there. Expansion took place in Spain also with the acquisition of Bodegas Antonio de la Riva, Bodegas Agustin Blazquez, whisky distiller DYC and the Jerez Sherry and brandy firm Fernando A de Terry along with the establishment of a bodega in Rioja known as Domecq Domain. After managing to resist takeover by Rumasa, Grupo Domecq as it was now called fell prey in 1994 to the acquisitive British group Allied Lyons, owners of Harveys of Bristol, already owners of Bodegas Palomino Y Vergara, MacKenzie and Terry, and the new conglomerate Allied Domecq eventually itself fell prey to a takeover by Pernod Ricard in 2005 who sold off what was not of interest. As a rather sad result, the Domecq brands were scattered amongst various owners:
Pernod Ricard: Domecq Mexico
Beam Global: Harveys, Terry, Fundador and DYC
Lustau (Grupo Caballero): La Ina, Botaina, Rio Viejo, Vina 25 PX
Osborne: Carlos I and Carlos III brandy and the VORS range
Marques de Riscal: Marques de Arienzo Rioja (previously named Domecq Domain)
Beam was bought by Suntory in 2014 and the new Beam Suntory sold Harveys, Terry and Fundador to Phillipino brandy magnate Andrew Tan for 275 million euros in late 2015. The firm is now called Fundador, part of Andrew Tan´s Grupo Emperador. Tan, along with Gonzalez Byass, has since bought back those available of the brand names. Meanwhile Harveys have been winning lots of medals.
Among the many Domecq brands are/were:
Fino: La Ina (Albeit Lustau now, but usually the highest scoring Fino in Guia Peñin)
Manzanilla: Pochola, Prodigio
Amontillado: Botaina; Amontillado 51-1a VORS; Jandilla; Primero; Imperial; Casarejo
Palo Cortado: Capuchino VORS
Oloroso: Rio Viejo; La Raza (Abocado); Sibarita VORS; Double Century, Añada 1840;
PX: Vina 25; Venerable VORS
Cream: Celebration
Brandy: Tres Cepas, Fundador, Carlos I, Carlos III, Marques de Domecq
Visits and contact:
Bodegas Fundador: www.grupoemperadorspain.com/es/contacto
