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
Monasterio De Las Vinas Gran Reserva 2005, Aragon
Spain$16.95
The Monasterio de Las Vinas 2005, composed of 60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo and 10% Cariñena that was aged in oak for 24 months, has intense aromas of sour cherry, pine, vanilla and coconut on the nose and sour cherry, dates and coconut on the palate. It is a light to medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated wine, with forward acidity, dusty-refined tannins (decant for 1+ hours) and a medium to long finish. Drink with food; drink now and for the next 3-5 years. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 89-90 pts - recommended based on quality. Note: upon opening, the wine is metallic, which dissipates after 15 min; wine achieves 90 score after decanting. Tasted August/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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir Rosé 2012, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$16.95
The 2012 Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir Rosé has attractive notes of light raspberry and wet slate minerality. It is an extra-dry, light bodied, fruity wine, with checked acidity and medium finish. Drink with food; enjoy now and for the next few years. My impression: NICE, 86-87 pts. Tasted April/13 at WineAlign Cru tasting.
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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
La Ferme Du Mont La Truffière 2011, Ac Côtes Du Rhone
Rhône, France$15.95
The 2011 La Ferme Du Mont La Truffière, composed of 50 % Grenache white, 40% Viognier and 10% Clairette, has subtle aromas of light pear, green apple, light lees and honeysuckle and faint petrol-like notes. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, fruity wine, with crisp acidity and a medium, tongue coating finish. My impression: NICE, 89 pts. Tasted at La Ferme Du Mont luncheon hosted by Stéphane Vedeau July/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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Carmen Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Los Quillayes Vineyard, Maipo Alto
Maipo Valley, Chile$16.55
The 2010 Carmen Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon , aged in French oak for 10 months, has intense aromas of prune, oak, light earthiness and vanilla. It is a full-bodied, extra-dry, fruity wine, with forward acidity, chalky mouthfeel, refined tannins and a long, smooth finish. Drink as a sipper; drink now to 2018+. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 90 pts – recommended mainly for quality though the value is great. Tasted at Wines of Chile 2013 tasting in October/13 - http://grapeselections.com/wines-of-chile-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
3.0 Stars
(0)G
Caliterra Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2012
Colchagua Valley, Chile$9.95
The 2012 Caliterra Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva has appealing aromas of eucalyptus and red currant on the nose and pomegranate, red currant, vanilla and oak on the palate. It is a medium bodied, dry, fruity wine; with forward/notable acidity, grippy tannins (decant for 15-30 min) and a medium to long, smooth finish. Drink with food or sip by itself; drink now – 2017 (screw cap). My impression: NICE, 89 pts – recommended for its quality and value (this $10 wine keeps on over-delivering vintage after vintage). Tasted Jan/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
3.0 Stars
(0)G
Tinhorn Creek Chardonnay 2012, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada$17.99
The 2012 Tinhorn Creek Chardonnay, of which 16% spend 2 months in French Oak barrels, has captivating aromas of light tropical fruits namely lemon and pineapple, gooseberry and vanilla on both the nose and palate. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry/dry, fruity wine; with good/refreshing acidity and a medium finish. This is a food friendly wine; drink for the next 2-3 years (screw cap enclosure). My impression: NICE, 88-89 pts – recommended for its uniqueness (for Chardonnay), quality and value. Tasted in Jul/14 at 'Barrels & Bonfires (i4C 2014)' http://grapeselections.com/i4c-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
3.0 Stars
Château Moncontour Vouvray Sec 2011
Loire, France$18.95
The 2011 Château de Moncontour Vouvray Sec, composed of 100% Chenin Blanc that was aged for four months on lees, has intense aromas of lees, light honey/field flowers and white fruit. It is a medium bodied, dry, integrated wine, with good acidity and medium to long finish. It is young, drink 2014-2016+. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL, 87 pts. Tasted at 'Loire Valley Tasting' http://grapeselections.com/Loire-Valley-tasting/ in Oct/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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Château Pineraie Cahors 2009, Ac
Southwest, France$15.95
"The 2009 Château Pineraie Cahors has intense aromas of red curant, blackberry, pine and subtle leather on the nose and pomegranate, red currant and dates on the palate. It is a light to medium bodied, extra-dry, integrated to aged wine; with good acidity, refined tannins (decant for 30 min) and a medium to long finish. It is food friendly, drink now – 2018. My impression: NICE, 88-89 pts. Tasted 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"
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Couly Dutheil La Baronnie Madeleine 2010, Ac Chinon
Loire, France$21.95
The 2010 Couly Dutheil La Baronnie Madeleine Chinon, composed of 100% Cabernet Franc, has intense aromas of milky black berry, plum and fig on the nose and plum and blackberry on the palate. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, fruity wine; with good acidity, notable tannins and a medium to long, woody and smooth finish. It is food friendly or a sipper; drink 2014 – 2017+. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 90 pts – good valued Franc for under $25. Tasted at 'Loire Valley Tasting' http://grapeselections.com/Loire-Valley-tasting/ in Oct/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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Rosewood Pinot Noir 2011, VQA Twenty Mile Bench
Ontario, Canada$20.00
The 2011 Rosewood Pinot Noir, aged in new and seasoned oak for 9 months, has intense aromas of raspberry, smoke, toasted wood and vanilla. It is a medium bodied, extra-dry, fruity wine; with forward acidity, subtle to refined tannins (decant for 15 min) and a long, moderately wood influenced finish. This is a food friendly wine; will reward 2014/15-2018 (evolution potential +1). My impression: NICE, 88(+1) pts. Tasted 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
3.0 Stars