Dan Trcka
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Followers (47)
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Following (5)
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Reviews (1015)
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Updated September 2013.
....Dear reader, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Daniel Trcka and much like yourself, I am a wine enthusiast.
My wine story
....I am inherently curious and have always had the need to figure out how things work – this drive has led me to become as I am today. It is always interesting how passions evolve before they become entities that engulf oneself and become him or herself. My passion began the day when I decided to make my own wine. Thinking that my creation must fare better than the cheapest 1.5L table wine I went ahead and surprisingly achieved it. Naturally, this then led to a simple question “what makes one wine better than another”? The somewhat complicated answer took me on a quest to learn about the complexity and the range of ‘tastes’ – first seeking the answer in a pursuit of knowledge (I highly recommend reading a 926 page book titled WINE by Andre Domine), and then finding it by training my sense of smell (54 scent Les-Nes-Du-Vin kit, also highly recommended) and learning how to listen to it. Subsequently, natural progression (for me) was to share my passion and the newly gained knowledge, and so I started reviewing wines on the WineAlign website, and Natalie MacLean’s site, but these not fully satisfying my need to express myself, I developed this webpage and launched it on July 19th, 2012.
My palate
....Let’s face it, I love red wines and even though I appreciate white wine, I really enjoy reds. My palate is quite varied, meaning that I enjoy all sorts of wines ranging from light bodied aromatic Pinot Noirs, fruity Barberas or tannic Nebbiolos to full-bodied green Carmeneres, refined Cabernets or jammy Malbecs or Shirazes. If I go by the numbers, then in the not-so-distant-past, Rioja’s Tempranillo followed by Piedmont’s Nebbiolo and Tuscan Sangiovese were the most common guests on my dinner table; though recently Ontarian wines (mainly whites) have become quite frequent and welcomed visitors. I enjoy wines that spent some time in oak, acquiring some toasty/woody notes that add to their complexity; prefer mid-aged (integrated) wines, but don’t shy away from youthful and fruitful ones; and I pay attention to the trueness of the grape. I hope that knowing this will help in deciding whether my palate matches yours.
Other than wine, what do I do
....I am fortunate to work in a prestigious research institute, on a fascinating, cutting edge project, for a professor who is one of the smartest men I know and with colleagues that are a friendly, knowledgeable bunch. We are trying to understand what makes stem cells – stem cells; specifically, we convert regular cells into stem cell like cells, using mice and mouse cells as our model. We then use these cells to generate mouse embryos, from which we isolate differentiated embryonic cells and induce them to undergo secondary, synchronized reprogramming into a stem cell like cells. We can study this secondary reprogramming and gain insights that bring us ever closer to personalized medicine in hope that one day we, the mankind, will be able to convert one’s cells into body’s deficient or damaged cells thus restoring health.
My contribution to scientific advancement
– MBNL proteins repress ES-cell-specific alternative splicing and reprogramming.
.. Nature June 13th, 2013.
– A late transition in somatic cell reprogramming requires regulators distinct from the pluripotency network.
.. Cell Stem Cell December 7th, 2012.
– Discoidin domain receptor-1 deficiency attenuates atherosclerotic calcification and smooth muscle cell-mediated mineralization.
.. American Journal of Pathology. November 5th, 2009.
– Collagen stimulates discoidin domain receptor 1 mediated migration of smooth muscle cells through Src.
.. Journal of Cardiovascular Pathology. January 19th, 2010.
– The in vitro real-time oscillation monitoring system identifies potential entrainment factors for circadian clocks.
.. BMC Mol Biol February 16th, 2006.
Contribution Acknowledgement
– Matrix-dependent adhesion of vascular and valvular endothelial cells in microfluidic channels.
.. Lab Chip August 7th, 2006.
– Transcriptional oscillation of canonical clock genes in mouse peripheral tissues.
.. BMC Mol Biol June 16th, 2004.
– Fez1 is layer-specifically expressed in the adult mouse neocortex.
.. European Journal of Neuroscience December 2nd, 2004.
Reviews
Château Rouquette Sur Mer Cuvée Amarante 2007, Ac Côteaux Du Languedoc La Clape
Languedoc, France$17.95
Seeing the Wine Align reviews, I decided to give this wine a try; first in July with dinner and second in August during wine tasting with a group of friends. Each time, I did not "taste" what the other reviewers tasted. Every time, the wine seemed medium to full bodied, aromatic with fruity to integrated notes of cherry and black currant and with refined tannins. However, as my notes tell me, the two bottles differed considerably. The first time, the wine seemed somewhat sweet and my overall impression was NOTHING SPECIAL; the second time, the wine had a strong, unappealing smell of brettanomyces - reminiscent of spoiled yogurt. This time my (and others) impression was DRINKABLE BUT WHY. At this price range, I should expect to see consistency. Perhaps I purchased an odd bottle as the wine seems quite popular. I however would really not recommend it. Averaged 87 pts. Tasted July and August 2010.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Le Clos Jordanne Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Twenty Mile Bench
Ontario, Canada$45.00
This wine is light bodied (typical to Pinot Noirs), with nicely aromatic, integrated fruit, composed of raspberry, violets, oak and chocolate notes. It is slightly acidic, with subtle to refined tannins and a medium to long finish. Even though this wine can be cellared for some time, I am not sure it will evolve as the fruit will only dissipate and the woody notes may become too pronounced (not what I am looking for). Drink now for the next few years. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL. Tasted Mar/10.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Álvaro Palacios Camins Del Priorat 2010
Priorat, Spain$25.95
The 2010 Álvaro Palacios Camins Del Priorat is a medium bodied, fruity wine, with intense aromas of red currant and blackberry. It has a forward acidity, refined tannins and a medium finish. Drink now or cellar for 5+ years. My impression: NICE, 89 pts – currently the LCBO just nearly sold out the 2008 vintage.
Tasted during 'The Wines of Alvaro Palacios' tasting organized by WineAlign on March 19th, 2012.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)A
Taurino Salice Salentino Riserva 2008, Dop
Puglia, Italy$14.95
The 2008 Taurino Salice Salentino Riserva is a medium bodied, integrated wine, with intense aromas of pine-cedar-oak (as decanting progresses), clove and faint liquorice on the nose and red currant and pomegranate on the palate. It has a sharp acidity, refined tannins (decant for 15-30 min) and a bit hot, medium to long finish. Drink now or hold for 5+ years. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 89 pts - not a food friendly wine, instead enjoy by itself or with some hard cheeses. Tasted Apr/12.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Burgo Viejo Reserva 2001
Rioja, Spain$18.95
This senior wine is light to medium bodied with strong aromas of aged leather, liquorice, light berries and a combination of cedar, green pepper and oak. Tannins are refined (best to decant for more than 1 hour) and finish is medium. I think there is perhaps up to 2 years of life left in this wine. My impression: NICE, 90 pts (due to complexity), not recommended though as I think the aged aromas are a tad overwhelming, its either that or I may have purchased a bit corked bottle and perhaps I should give this another try. Tasted June/10.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Domaine Puig-parahy Georges 2007, Ac Côtes De Roussillon
Languedoc, France$17.95
This light bodied, fruity wine has aromas of strawberry, black cherry and Earth. It is tannic with dusty tannins (decant for more than 1 hr - the longer you do, the more enjoyable it will be) and has a medium, uneventful and a bit metallic finish. It can be drunk now or can age for 5 or more years. When it comes to evolution, I don't expect it to evolve well as the fruit aromas are already quite light and once the overwhelming tannins (and I am a fan of tannins) mellow out, there will be no fruit left. The wine was not aged in oak to "preserve" the fruit flavours, so I would not expect any floral, spicy or animal notes to come forth. I am not surprised this wine is $14 (cheap for France), but I am surprised that several critics gave it such a high review. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL to NICE. I only gave it 87 pts due to my rounding up rule. Tasted May/10.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Beringer Merlot 2006, Napa Valley
California, Usa$39.95
The 2006 Beringer Merlot is a medium bodied, integrated wine, with intense aromas of red currant, cherry, smoke, oak and vanilla. Tannins are refined (decant for 30 to 60 min) and the finish is long and a bit acidic. Good to drink now and will be 2012 to 2018. My impression: quite NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 90.5 pts. Tasted Dec/10.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Domaine Calvet-thunevin Cuvée Constance 2007, Vin De Pays Des Côtes Catalanes
Rhône, France$18.95
The 2007 Domaine Calvet Thunevin Cuvée Constance, which is composed of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Carignan, is light to medium bodied, with integrated blueberry, prune and cedar notes. It is quite alcoholic - 15%, with tannins that are refined to tannic (decant for 15 to 30 min) and with medium, yet smooth finish. Aging potential is short - roughly two years. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL TO NICE, 88 pts - in my opinion, not a recommended buy. Tasted Feb/11.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Brancaia Tre 2007, Igt Toscana
Tuscany, Italy$23.95
The 2007 Brancaia Tre is definitely a wine (not THE wine) to talk about. Getting 5 critic reviews before the February 5th release and most of them giving excellent or better reviews, resulted in a frenzy with the entire LCBO stock being depleted before one week was up. It took me some time and a help from a very good friend before I was able to secure 5 bottles, so naturally I was anxious to try it. It being a super Tuscan and me having others in my cellar, I had high expectations, which were quickly taken away upon opening and the discovery of a fake cork.
This wine is medium bodied with nice aromas of integrated blackberry, freshly picked coffee beans, cedar and coconut. Tannins are refined (decanting for 30 min is a must), high acidity is quite noticeable and the finish is medium. If real cork was used, aging would be of a benefit, but since plastic (FAKE) enclosure was used, aging for more than couple of years is not advisable. My impression (despite being disappointed and my high expectations taken): NICE, 89 pts - (no point mentioning whether I would recommend it or not since you can't buy any - at least not at this time, but I foresee that LCBO will re-release it sometime towards the end of the year). I will be returning the remaining 4 bottles as the complexity I expect from a Super Tuscan is simply just not there. Tasted Feb/11.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Marchesi Di Barolo Barbaresco 2006, Docg
Piedmont, Italy$29.95
It is highly unusual to see a Barbaresco for such a deal, especially from this winery. This medium bodied wine has beautiful aromas of integrated to aged strawberry, raspberry, caramel, chocolate, cedar and liquorice. The tannins are still tannic (decant for 30 min) and the finish is medium. It can nicely evolve for the next 5 to 10 years, so even though it is ready to drink, it should be aged a bit. My impression BEAUTIFUL, 91 pts - a recommended buy. Tasted June/10.
If you would like to see wines I recommend and that are still available at the LCBO, please visit this link (listed in my profile):
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.5 Stars
(0)V