Len de l'Elh
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Len de l'El (various spellings have been reported:Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin Sud-Oues
Len de l'El B ou Loin de l'Oeil
"'' (French). Accessed: 23 October 2011
Oxford Companion to Wine'
Gaillac entry
"'' Accessed: 6 February 2011
Ampélographie - Description des cépages et variétés de raisins de cuve ou raisins de tabl

"'' (French). Accessed: 23 October 2011
Len de l'Elh, Len del El, Lendelel, Loin-de-l'oeil ; also known as cavalié or cavalier) is a white French wine grape variety native to South West France. '' Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) regulation dictate that the white wines from Gaillac must include at least 15% Len de l'El blended with Mauzac, though there has been movements to allow substitution of
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
(and since 2007 growers have been officially permitted to do so).Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 116 Harcourt Books 2001 Prior to the
phylloxera epidemic The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid waste to the wine industry. It was caused by an aphid that originated in North America and was carried across the Atl ...
, Len de l'El constituted more than 30% of all plantings in the Gaillac region.J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 237 Mitchell Beazley 1986 But the grapes are prone to rot and have been declining in plantings in recent times. The wines made from the grape are typically full bodied with low acidity but powerful fruit notes.


History and name origins

Ampelographers Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...
believe that Len de l'El is native to Gaillac region of Southwest France where it has had a long history of wine production. Even as the 20th century saw the introduction of new grape varieties and a push towards more international and marketable varieties, strong regional attachment to the variety has kept the grape from falling into obscurity. Like the Manseng family of grapes in the Jurançon, growers in the Gaillac region used the codification of
wine laws Wine laws are legislation regulating various aspects of production and sales of wine. The purpose of wine laws includes combating wine fraud, by means of regulated protected designations of origin, labelling practices and classification of wine, a ...
for the ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' in 1938 to dictate a minimum usage of Len de l'El for all white blends produced in the area—thus sustaining its presence.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 96 Oxford University Press 1996 While the laws were later amended in the 21st century to allow the substitution of Sauvignon blanc, the effects of the initial mandate for Len de l'El's use helped maintain the variety's presence in the region. It is widely accepted that the name Len de l'El comes from the Toulouse Occitan dialect. Incidentally, it is phonetically similar to the French translation ''loin de l'œil'' meaning "far from the eye" with the
synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
sometimes still seen on wine labels along with other alternative spellings. Wine expert Oz Clarke explains that the name refers to the position of the fruit in respect to the bud : the clustered grapes have long stalks that attach to the
fruiting cane In viticulture, the canopy of a grapevine includes the parts of the vine visible aboveground - the trunk, cordon, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit. The canopy plays a key role in light energy capture via photosynthesis, water use as regulated b ...
at a distance that is farther from the bud (or "eye", ''oeil'' in French) than most grape varieties. This explanation is supported by Gaillac wine growersGaillac Wines '
A specific collection of grape varieties
"'' ''Grand Vin du Sud-Ouest'' (English). Accessed: 23 October 2011
and at least one French
ampelography Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...
authority as well.


Wine regions

Len de l'El is found virtually exclusively in the Gaillac AOC where it is a minor blending grape in the white and sparkling wine blends based primarily on the Mauzac grape. According to AOC regulations, at least 15% of the white blends must include either Len de l'El or Sauvignon blanc. Other grapes that may be blended with Len de l'El include Sémillon, Muscadelle and Ondenc.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 73 Firefly Books 2004 The grape can also be found in the experimental wines of several '' vin de pays'', most notably the major VDP of Southwest France Vin de Pays du Comté Tolosan where it is often blended with Muscadelle, Petit Manseng, Muscat blanc, Mauzac and Sauvignon blanc.Wines of France
Vin de Pays du Comté Tolosan
"'' Accessed: 6 February 2011


Viticulture

Len de l'El is highly prone to various
grape diseases This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Miscellaneous diseases and disorders Nematodes, parasitic Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases See also *'' Ampeloglypter ater'' *'' Am ...
, particularly the
grape rot This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Miscellaneous diseases and disorders Nematodes, parasitic Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases See also *''Ampeloglypter ater'' *''Ampe ...
s that can afflict vineyards in the moist maritime climate of Southwest France. Therefore, growers tend to limit plantings of the grapes to hillside locations with well draining
vineyard soils The soil composition of vineyards is one of the most important viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the ...
and ventilation of air currents to keep the vines dry. The vine can be quite vigorous and produce larger yields that can further dilute the character of the grape if not kept in check. While it is often blended with Mauzac, Len de l'El's tendency to ripen up to two weeks earlier than Mauzac can create some complications for growers which often requires Mauzauc to be harvested a little bit earlier so its acidity can balance the alcohol of Len de l'El.


Wine styles

Len de l'El can ripen to high
sugar levels Sugars in wine are at the heart of what makes winemaking possible. During the process of fermentation, sugars from wine grapes are broken down and converted by yeast into alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide. Grapes accumulate sugars as they grow ...
but usually fails to retain the acidity needed to balance the wine and keep it from coming across as flabby. Still, it is a flexible grape that can be used in blends as well as sparkling and sweet
dessert style wines Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert. There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...
. According to wine expert
Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...
, the grape can produce "powerful and characterful" full bodied wines.


Synonyms

Len de l'El and its wines are known under a variety of synonyms including Cavaille, Cavailles, Cavalie, Cavalier, Endelel, Kavale, Kavaler, L'Endelel, Len de l'Elh, Len del El, Lenc de l'El, Lendellet, Loin de l'oeil.Len de l'El
, Vitis International Variety Catalogue, retrieved 2010-12-03


References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties