Len De L'el

A local variety of Gaillac in the Tarn, in south-west France, Len de l'El was first mentioned in writing in 1842. No DNA-based parentage has been published for it, and it is regarded as native to the Gaillac area. One local theory says it was brought in from wild vines growing in the Grésigne forest, which lies between Albi and Montauban, but nothing supports this.

The name is Occitan: luènh de l'uèlh, rendered in French as loin de l'oeil, 'far from the eye', where eye means the vine bud, and the variety is said to carry bunches on long stalks that hang well away from the point where the bud sat. Other forms of the name include Loin de l'Oeil, Len de l'Elh, Len-de-Lel and Lenc de l'El; it has also gone by Cavalier and, around Castres, Cavaillès.

Before the phylloxera crisis of the 1870s it accounted for around 30 per cent of the vineyards of Gaillac. Replanting favoured the higher-yielding Mauzac Blanc, and Len de l'El lost ground. It never disappeared: the Tarn's 640 ha in 2009 compare with 730 ha in 2000, and the appellation rules still list it as a principal variety. Its better retention of acidity has since won it renewed attention for sweet wines.

The vine is vigorous, early budding and productive, so yields need to be restrained. Left unchecked, it can show potassium deficiency, with leaves browning in summer. Mites and botrytis bunch rot are both threats, which matters in the humid, oceanic-influenced climate of the Tarn. Ripening is early to mid season, ahead of Mauzac Blanc, so the two varieties are typically harvested on separate dates and the earlier-ripening Len de l'El can be picked first. Its acidity holds up better than that of Mauzac Blanc as sugars rise, which lets growers choose between an early pick for dry or sparkling wine and a late pick for sweet wine. Limiting crop level is the main lever for quality, both for ripeness and for avoiding nutrient stress.

Dry white Gaillac is the commonest outlet. Len de l'El is normally one component of a blend with Mauzac Blanc, Mauzac Rose and Muscadelle, sometimes with Sauvignon Blanc (an accessory variety under the appellation rules), and gives fresh wines with floral and citrus character. Sparkling white Gaillac may also draw on it, although wines made under the méthode ancestrale mention are restricted to the Mauzac varieties. Sweet wines are the style for which it is most prized: Gaillac doux and late-harvest bottlings are more often made from 100 per cent Len de l'El, with Ondenc as the other principal grape for late harvest. These combine floral and citrus notes with enough acidity to stay lively rather than cloying. Because it is picked earlier than Mauzac Blanc, it also fits into blends where freshness is wanted.