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Now Viewing: Domecq Sherry
The House of Domecq has spent almost three centuries pleasing sherry-drinkers of every stripe, including the royalty of Spain and England. They have also grown, eventually becoming part of the enormous corporate tapestry that is Allied Domecq, which owns a diverse range of wine and spirit producers. Size, however, has not compromised quality, as the Domecq family still directly oversees their vineyards and cellars in the Jerez region. Such a long history means that some of their wines are from very old soleras (sherry's distinctive aging system), and a sip of such a sherry is a gateway to the past. The company was founded in 1730. In the second half of the 19th century they made a huge push forward under the guidance of Pedro Domecq; his early attention to the science of viticulture led to great changes in both the vineyard and the cellar. Among other things, he replanted the mix of varietals in their vineyards with what has become the region's most important grape: Palomino. Since that time the company has patiently expanded its vineyard holdings; they now own about 2,500 acres in Jerez, 2,000 of which are in an area called Macharnudo, where the hillier terrain receives more of the cooling ocean breezes that help the grapes maintain their acidity. They have also paid close attention to clonal selection in the vineyard, maintaining Don Domecq's eye for the best grapes for the job of making great sherry. In the bodega - properly speaking, in the 16 bodegas - Domecq has an incredible advantage: an ancient lineage of soleras. Their oldest solera, used in making the Sibarita Palo Cortado, was founded in 1792, and other sherries are aged in soleras dating from 1830, 1902, and 1919. Great age gives their sherries depth and power, and Domecq has been careful to insure that the anada - the new wine being added at the top of the criadera - is high quality; compromising such a legacy would be a great waste. To do so they have invested in state-of-the-art facilities in the winery; among other advances, the company has isolated their own strain of yeast to insure consistent fermentation. Domecq's flagship line includes four sherries: the "La Ina" Fino, a Manzanilla, a Medium Dry Amontillado, and the Vina 25 Pedro Ximenez. They also produce three VORS (Very Old Rare Sherries): the Amontillado 51-1A, the Sibarita Palo Cortado, and the Venerable Pedro Ximenez; the abbreviation indicates a minimum average age of thirty years. Outside of Sherry they produce the Marques de Arienzo Riojas and some sparkling wines, and also own another well-known sherry house Harveys.
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