Len de l’El, also spelled Len de l’Elh, was once a major and is now a compulsory minor ingredient in the white wines, especially the sweet ones, of gaillac. Its name is local dialect for loin de l’œil, or ‘far from sight’. This vigorous vine needs a well-ventilated, well-drained site if it is to escape rot in lesser years. All but one of France’s 630 ha/1,556 acres in 2011 were in Gaillac country.
© Jancis Robinson and Oxford University Press 1994, 1999, 2006, 2015
