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
Cave Spring Estate Cabernet Franc 2012, Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$24.95
The 2012 Cave Springs Estate Bottled Cabernet Franc, aged in French Oak of which 60% was new; has lifted aromas of green leaves, blackberry and vanilla on the nose and blackberry, vanilla and coconut on the palate. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, fruity wine; acidic, with tight tannins and a long and chalky finish. This is food friendly, overly oak influenced wine; cellar short term to allow the tannins and acidity to bridge - drink 2015/16 to 2020+ (cork enclosure). My impression: NICE, 87 pts. Tasted in Oct/14 at 'Taste Ontario 2014' http://grapeselections.com/taste-ontario-2014/.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:
http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections
or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
4.5 Stars
(0)V
Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu Dit Malakoff Shiraz 2010, Pyrenees
Victoria, Australia$35.25
The 2010 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Lieu Dit Malakoff Shiraz - Shiraz sourced from the Malakoff vineyard and made as “a collaboration between legendary French wine grower Michel Chapoutier and wine industry icon Anthony Terlato” (taken from the bottle). It has overwhelming aromas of milky lees, below which smoke, raspberry and blackberry aromas emerge on the nose and raspberry, light wood and subtle barnyard on the palate. It is a medium bodied (on the light side yet with intense lees/fruit flavor), extra-dry, fruity to integrated wine; BALANCED with forward acidity, silky tannins (decant for 30+ min) and a medium to long, slightly hot finish. Drink with food or sip on its own; drink 2016-2022+; evolution potential of +2 pts. My impression: 90-91 (+2 ep) – it is well crafted ‘French style’ wine, though too yeasty for my liking – recommended based on quality for those who enjoy French style, yeasty/yogurty wines. Will open the remaining 3 bottles in 2019, 2024 and sometime after that to see how it evolves. Tasted couple of times, Mar/13 & Dec/13.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:
http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections
or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
4.5 Stars
(0)V
Argiano Brunello Di Montalcino 2009
Tuscany, Italy$60.00
The 2009 Argiano Brunello Di Montalcino, aged in oak for two years and then another in cement, has intense bouquet of anise, cigar box, wood, lees, and red currant on the nose and red currant, coconut and oak on the palate. It is a light to medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine; with good acidity, grippy tannins and a silky, long to extra-long finish. Drink now – 2025+. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92 pts – recommended for its quality and value. Tasted Mar/14 http://grapeselections.com/benvenuto-brunello/
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:
http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections
or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
4.5 Stars
Yering Station Reserve Chardonnay 2012, Yarra Valley
Victoria, Australia$85.00
The 2012 Yering Station Reserve Chardonnay, from the cool Yarra Valley, has intense aromas of gooseberry, lees, wood and subtle creaminess. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, fruity wine; though on the acidic side its acidity is refreshing and has a medium, lightly reductive finish. Drink with food, drink now and for the next few years. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL to NICE, 88 pts.
Tasted at Australia Today 2014 Trade show http://grapeselections.com/australian-wine/ in Feb/14.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:
http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections
or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
4.5 Stars
La Velona Brunello Di Montalcino 2009, Docg
Tuscany, Italy$39.95
The 2009 La Velona Brunello di Montalcino, aged in oak barrels for 36 months, has captivating bouquet of thyme, subtle barnyard, wood, figs and dried cherries on the nose and pomegranate, dried cherry and black olives on the palate. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine; with excellent acidity, refined tannins (decant for 15 min) and a long to extra-long finish. Though food friendly, enjoy this beauty by itself; drink from now to 2025 (cork enclosure). My impression: BEAUTIFUL to DIVINE, 94 pts – recommended for its quality and value. Tasted July/15.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:
http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections
or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
4.5 Stars
(0)V
Costers Del Siurana Miserere 2004
Priorat, Spain$75.00
The 2004 Costers Del Siurana Miserere that used to be sold at Vintages Online for $75 can be purchased in Spain for $53. It is medium to full bodied, integrated wine with intense aromas of blackberry, black cherry and violets on the nose and strawberry on the palate. It is tannic (decant for more than 1 hour) and the finish is long and a bit hot @ 14.5%. It is still a bit disconnected and thus should be cellared little longer 2014-2020, at which point it will be quite mature/aged. It is not food friendly, but a sipper. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 90.5 pts. Tasted July/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.
4.5 Stars
(0)
Bodegas Y Viñedos Alion 2007
Ribera Del Duero, Spain$79.00
The 2007 Bodegas Alion is a light to medium bodied, integrated wine, with intense aromas of cherry, chocolate and oak on the nose and cherry, nutmeg and faint vanilla on the palate. The structure is nice, with refreshing acidity, refined tannins (decant for 1 hour) and a medium to long finish. It will be better in couple of years and should be good for 10 or more years. My impression: NICE, 91.5 pts - (note; since this was a present, I tasted it blindly and though the wine is complex, I (we) deemed it to be just NICE and didn’t think it measured up to what one would expect reading the other reviews). Tasted Dec/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
4.5 Stars
(0)V
Genium Celler Costers Iv De Guarda 2005, Do Priorat
Priorat, Spain$58.00
The 2005 Genium Celler Costers Iv De Guarda is medium bodied, nicely aromatic, integrated wine. The nose shows black cherry, faint musk and oak; whereas the palate displays cedar, oak and dill. Tannins are refined to tannic (decant for 1 hour), the acidity is in nice balance with tannins and the finish is long and smooth. It is ready to drink now or cellar for 5 to 10 years. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92 pts - a bit pricey (at least in Canada, I purchased it in Barcelona for €19.90 = $28), but recommended anyway. Tasted June/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
4.5 Stars
(0)
Montes Purple Angel 2007
Colchagua Valley, Chile$59.95
The 2007 Montes Purple Angel, composed of 92% Carmenere and 8 % Petit Verdot that was aged in new French Oak barrels for 18 months, is a medium to full bodied, integrated wine, with intense aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cedar, oak and green pepper on the nose and blackberry, oak, vanilla and coconut on the palate. It has refined tannins (decant for 30 min +) and a long to extra long finish. Drink with a meal if desired, but this wine is meant to be enjoyed by itself. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92-93 pts. Tasted Sept/12.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:
www.GrapeSelections.com
or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
4.5 Stars
(0)V
Grant Burge The Holy Trinity Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre 2008, Barossa Valley, South Australia
South Australia, Australia$29.95
The 2008 Grant Burge The Holy Trinity consists of 44% Grenache, 40% Shiraz and 16% Mourvèdre and has been aged in French oak for 12 months. It is a ruby coloured, medium bodied, fruity to integrated wine, with intense aromas of raspberry, blackberry, violets and cedar on the nose and strawberry and raspberry on the palate. It has a nice acidity, refined tannins (decant for 30 min) and a long finish. Tuck away for couple of years and drink from 2014 to 2020. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92 pts and a recommended buy. Tasted May/12.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO @ www.grapeselections.com
or
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
4.5 Stars
(0)V