Dan Trcka
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Followers (47)
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Following (5)
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Reviews (1016)
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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
Hermanos Peciña Señorío De P. Peciña Gran Reserva 1998, Doca Rioja
Spain$45.15
This Gran Reserva belongs to one of the oldest bottles that I own, and hence I openned this one for a very special occasion. This wine is aged, light to medium bodied with very fragrant aromas of leather, aged cherry, violets and oak. Tannins are refined (decant for 15 to 30 min to allow all the fragrances to emerge) and the finish is long. I would not age this wine any longer as it is on decline - I openned one bottle in the summer and my notes (and my memory) indicate it to be more fragrant than this last one. Nonetheless, this is still a beautiful wine that is meant to be sipped. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92 pts - would highly recommend if LCBO still sold it. 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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Concha Y Toro Terrunyo Block 27 Carmenère 2007, Peumo, Cachapoal Valley
Rapel Valley, Chile$29.95
The 2007 Concha Y Toro Terrunyo Block 27 Carmenère is a medium to full bodied wine, with intensely aromatic notes of integrated chocolate, green pepper and oak on the nose and blackberry, coconut and vanilla on the palate. It is nicely structured/balanced with refined tannins (decanting for 1+ hour while sampling, will allow for evolution in the mouth to happen) and long and smooth finish. While perfectly good to drink now, it will benefit from further aging, try from 2013 to 2018. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92.5 - would recommend buying it if it was still available; curiously(?!?) it took less than 2 months for it to sell out - must be due to the nice wooden 6-bottle case, rarely seen supplied with wines at this price. Tasted Oct/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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2010, Hawkes Bay
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand$17.25
The 2010 Trinity Hill Syrah has intense bouquet of pine needles, pepper, plum and dates. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine, with checked acidity, subtle to refined tannins (decant for 15-30 min) and a medium, yet quite clean, finish. It is food friendly; drink now and for the next 3 years. My impression: NICE, 90-91 pts. Tasted June /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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Antinori Guado Al Tasso 2007, Doc Bolgheri Superiore
Tuscany, Italy$104.95
The 2007 Antinori Guado Al Tasso is medium bodied with intense aromas of integrated black currant, blueberry, coffee, green pepper, oak and vanilla. Tannins are refined to tannic (decant for about an hour) and the finish is long and smooth. This wine should be put away for the next 4-5 years and should last till 2020 to 2015. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92.5 pts - excellent wine, but is $90 really worth it? 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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Polkura Syrah 2009, Marchigue, Colchagua Valley
Colchagua Valley, Chile$19.40
The 2009 Polkura Syrah is a medium to full bodied, fruity wine, with intense aromas of smoke, blackberry, black cherry, strawberry, pepper and green pepper. It is on the acidic side, has refined tannins (decant for 30+ min) and has a long and smooth finish. Cellar it for several years as it has an evolution potential of at least 2 pts, drink 2015-2025. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 91 pts - recommended buy. Tasted Jan/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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Gianni Gagliardo Barolo 2006
Piedmont, Italy$50.00
The 2006 Gianni Gagliardo Barolo has intense aromas of dried pomegranate, cedar, cigar box and anise. It is light to medium bodied, integrated to aged, with good acidity, grippy tannins (decant for 30+ min) and long and smooth finish. Drink it as a sipper or with salty meats; drink now-2020+. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 91+ pts – recommended based on quality. Tasted March/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
4.0 Stars
Burrowing Owl Athene 2010, BC VQA Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada$44.95
The 2010 Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Athene is composed of 60% Syrah and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon that were co-fermented (an uncommon practice for fine wines) and then aged in French and American oaks (60/40% - 40% new) for 18 months before bottling. The wine has succulent bouquet composed of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, cedar, leather and toasted vanilla on the nose and figs, black currant, leather, vanilla and oak on the palate. It is a full bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine; BALANCED with fresh acidity, dusty/refined tannins and a long and silky finish. This is a sipper that should be enjoyed uninterrupted; drink now till 2020++ (cork enclosure). My impression: BEAUTIFUL to DIVINE, 92-93 pts – recommended for its quality. Tasted in Nov/14 http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections/wine-reviews/.
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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello Di Montalcino 2008
Tuscany, Italy$49.95
The 2008 Marchesi De’ Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino, composed of 100% Sangiovese that was aged in French Oak for 36 months, has intense aromas of cigar box, pine, faint leather, dried cherry and pomegranate on the nose and dried cherry and cigar box on the palate. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine; balanced with good, mouthwatering acidity, drying tannins (decant for 30-60 min) and a long and silky finish. Enjoy on-its-own; drink now to 2020. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92 pts – recommended for its quality and value. Tasted at 'Taste Italy 2013' http://grapeselections.com/taste-italy-2013/ in Nov/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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Bachelder Wismer Vineyard Chardonnay 2011, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$44.95
This wine was re-reviewed one+ year later and shows the potential of wine aging:
The 2011 Bachelder Niagara Wismer Vineyard Chardonnay has seductive aromas of subtle limestone minerality, pear, butter and vanilla on the nose and yellow apple, pear and gooseberry on the palate. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine; BALANCED with crisp acidity and a creamy, oak influenced yet fruit-forward finish of long length. This is a sipper; drink now and for the next 5++ years (cork enclosure). My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92-93 pts – recommended for its quality. Tasted in Jul/14 at 'Barrels & Bonfires (i4C 2014)' http://grapeselections.com/i4c-2014/.
The 2011 Bachelder Wismer Vineyard Chardonnay has intense aromas of pear, yellow apple, butter, light vanilla and oak. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine, with forward acidity, slightly tannic and a long oaky/vanilla finish. This is a food friendly and sipping wine; drink now- 2020. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 89 pts. Tasted in Jul/13 at 'i4C 2013' http://grapeselections.com/i4c-2013/.
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
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Font De Michelle Châteauneuf Du Pape 2012, Ap
Rhône, France$53.95
The 2012 Font de Michelle Châteauneuf-du-Pape has intense aromas of milky blackberry, black cherry, figs, prune and milky chocolate on the nose and milky blackberry, oak, coconut and vanilla on the palate. It is a medium to full bodied, extra-dry, fruity to integrated wine; with forward acidity, grippy tannins (decant for 30-60 min) and a long, smooth finish. Though food friendly, sip this wine by-itself; drink now to 2025+ (long cork enclosure). My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 91 pts – recommended for its quality. Tasted in Apr/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
4.0 Stars
(0)V