Fundador Pedro Domecq

La legendaria firma jerezana Domecq fue adquirida hace unos años por Andrew Tan, gran magnate filipino propietario de Alliance Global Group, y las denominó con su producto estrella, Fundador, la más antigua marca de brandy de Jerez.

You are probably more likely to have heard of the La Ina sherry brand, but this mythical fino is no longer owned by Domecq; it had already been sold to another sherry house, Lustau, along with the barrels (sherry butts) and assorted other former Domecq brands a few years ago.

The Domecq sherry house was officially founded in 1730, when Irish bachelor, Patrick Murphy, established a bodega in a 16th-century building known as El Molino. His partner in the venture was Frenchman Jean Haurie, a friend and neighbour, who, it seems, used to run a bakery next to Murphy’s home in Jerez. Haurie inherited the business after Murphy’s death and became a wine grower, wholesaler and exporter. He bought vineyards and additional buildings in which to age the wines. However, he too was a bachelor, so he brought his 5 nephews into the business, creating the Jean Haurie y Sobrinos (“Jean Haurie & Nephews”) company. At this time, the Domecq name still didn’t feature anywhere. Jean Haurie died in 1794 and left everything to his grandnephews. There were 5 of them in all and one of them, the slightly wayward Jean Charles, brought the business to the brink of ruin. The Spanish War of Independence broke out, and Jean Charles Haurie had his ups, and even greater downs, with the French invaders, whom he protected but only got shady business dealings and