Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/637107
66 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 Lauren Helm Last year, Lauren Helm joined the team at the newly renovated and now Charlie Palmer–owned 110-seat Harvest Table on the grounds of the lovely 74-room Harvest Inn. Helm grew up in a rural Northern Colorado, where wine was far from her mind. As a teenager, she headed off to study at Boulder, supporting herself by working at the acclaimed Flagstaff House Restaurant. As for her wine education, Helm says, "It was the school of life, learning about wine here." With one of the most spectacular cellars with amazing vintage depth, Helm became enamored with the world of wine and launched her more formals studies. She's now running the show, after training under Steve Geddes, MS, Corporate Director of Operations for the Charlie Palmer Group. The fruit in this super-small-production 100% Cabernet Franc hails from Atlas Peak by the duo Gabrielle Shaffer and Adam McClary. "This wine shows that people are still incredibly creative in the area," Helm says. Herbaceous, high-toned acidity takes the mild pork-based ramen up a notch in flavor. Unctuous and juicier that its French counterparts, this Cab Franc is loaded with the brambly fruits like black and red currants, blackberries with a touch of cassis on the jammy finish. Graphite and dried herbs come through on the finish, taking on the soy in the broth and the rich pork. Smoky hints in the broth and the seaweed are pleasantly subdued by the fruit in the wine, while the wine also elongates the flavor. Even the ramen noodles themselves get freshened by this bright wine. Winemaker Helen Keplinger crafts this wine in a style that maintains incredible freshness yet still holds the elegance of a Napa Cabernet. Helm was thrilled to bring this wine, which bursts with bright red fruit and enormous depth, along with a wisp of eucalyptus aroma. The earthy flavors and spices in the meatballs and get a flattering lift from the fruity brightness of this lower-alcohol red (3.9% ABV!). "Blank might be considered the Grace Family second label," Helm says, but she considered it a different expression. The lemons and olives magically sit gracefully in the middle of the two, helping refresh the palate for another bite and sip. This smaller 2007 vintage by the Boroli family, one of the top Barolo producers, presents with big meat characteristics, shiitake mushrooms and a classic touch of tar. The tannins are still prominent, along with secondary aromas of cedar, black truffle and shiitake mushrooms, yet the red fruit is quite ripe. Helm calls this "a dream wine with duck," which certainly was the case here. The mushrooms seemed an ideal partner, as well. This extremely rich and satisfy - ing dish brings out the juicier fruit characteris- tics in the wine and mushroom on the finish. The creaminess in the risotto flows seamlessly with the tertiary flavors of this wine. DALLA TERRA DISH 4: Ramen, chashu jowl, pig trotters, jidori egg, soy broth WINE 4: Gamling & McDuck 2012 Cabernet Franc, Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley DISH 5: Lebanese lamb meatballs, cavolo-nero chickpea stew, preserved lemon, olives WINE 5: Grace Family 2012 Blank Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché Clone, Rutherford DISH 6: Risotto of forest mushrooms, confit of duck giblets WINE 6: Boroli 2007 Villero Barolo, Italy