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
Du Cropio Don Giuva Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore 2005, Doc
Calabria, Italy$17.95
The 2005 Du Cropio Don Giuva Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore is a light to medium bodied, aged wine, with nice aromas of dried red berries, leather and vanilla. Tannins are refined to tannic (decant for 30 min) and the finish is medium to long. Drink now and for the next few years as it will not improve with age. My impression: NICE, 88.5 pts - great value for lovers of aged wines. 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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2009, Mendoza
Argentina$14.95
This review is for the 2010 Trapiche Broquel Malbec. It is a fruity, medium bodied wine, with intense aromas of yogurty blackberry, black cherry, oak, vanilla and green foliage. It has refined tannins (decant for 30-60 min) and finish of medium length. It should be cellared for couple of years as it is still young, drink 2014-2018. My impression: NICE, 89 pts. 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
3.0 Stars
(0)G
Goats Do Roam Red 2011, Western Cape
South Africa$12.95
The 2011 Goats Do Roam Red is a medium to full bodied, fruity wine, with nice aromas of dominating prune and notable cherry. Tannins are subtle to refined (decant for 15 min) and the finish is medium. Drink in the next few years. My impression: NICE, 87 pts - correctly priced wine. Tasted Jan/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
3.0 Stars
(0)G
Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre 2008, Igt Veronese
Veneto, Italy$24.95
The 2008 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre is a medium bodied, fruity to INTEGRATED wine, with appealing aromas of black cherry, blackberry and vanilla. Tannins are subtle to refined (decant for 15-30 min) and the finish is bit sweet and long and smooth. Drink now or hold for the next 5 years. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 89 pts - tasted at an Italian wine tasting 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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Viña Zaco Tempranillo 2008, Rioja
Spain$11.45
The 2008 Viña Zaco Tempranillo, aged in oak, is a pleasant entry level Rioja. It is a medium bodied, fruity wine, with appealing aromas of oak, raspberry, cherry and coconut and vanilla on the finish. It has a good structure, refined tannins (decant for 15 min) and a medium to long finish. It has a great cellaring potential, as it will increase its complexity in time, drink now to 2018. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 89 pts – good value at $12 and a recommended buy. Tasted Apr/12.
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
Château La Fleur Terrien 2009, Ac Lussac Saint émilion
Bordeaux, France$14.95
The 2009 Château La Fleur Terrien, composed of 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, is a medium bodied, fruity wine, with appealing aromas of yogurty strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. It has refined tannins (decant for 1 hour) and a medium, slightly bitter finish. Will improve with age, drink 2014-2018. My impression: NICE, 88 pts. 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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Finca Sobreño Crianza 2008, Do Toro
Castilla y León, Spain$17.95
The 2008 Finca Sobreño Crianza, aged in American oak for 7 months, is a medium bodied, fruity to integrated wine, with aromas of yogurty raspberry and oak. It is a bit acidic, has tannins that are subtle to refined (decant for 30 min) and finish that is medium. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL, 87 pts - I would expect this wine to be around $12. 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
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Rotllán Torra Crianza 2007, Doc Priorat
Priorat, Spain$19.95
The 2007 Rotllán Torra Crianza, aged in American oak for 12 months, is a medium bodied, integrated wine, with appealing aromas of red currant, fresh coffee fruit, cedar, oak and vanilla. It is well balanced, with refined tannins and a finish of medium length. It is nicely aromatic upon decanting, but these fade away only to re-emerge later on; hence this wine should either be drunk from the bottle or decanted for 45 min or more. It has cellaring potential and may evolve to be more aromatic, drink now-2018? My impression: VERY APPEALING, 90 pts - at $18, it is a great entry into the Priorat region - recommended try. Tasted Apr/12.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO @
www.GrapeSelections.com
or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Graffigna Centenario Malbec Reserve 2010, San Juan
Argentina$13.95
The 2010 Graffigna Centenario Malbec Reserve, aged in French and American Oak for 12 months, is a medium to full bodied, fruity wine, with appealing aromas of strawberry, blackberry and clove. It has a good acidity, refined tannins (decant for 15 min) and a medium to long finish. It is food friendly, yet can be enjoyed by itself; drink now - 2018. My impression: NICE, 88 pts - recommended buy - value/$. Tasted Sept/12.
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 2011, Colchagua Valley
Chile$9.95
The 2011 Caliterra Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec that was aged in oak for 10 months, has intense aromas of toasted oak, smoke, dates, prune, dark chocolate, black cherry and vanilla. It is an extra-dry, full-bodied, fruity to integrated wine; with good acidity, refined tannins and medium to long finish. This wine goes well with food (grilled meats) or can be enjoyed by itself; drink now – 2018+ (screw cap). My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 89 pts – for $10 this wine over-delivers; recommended for its quality and value. I have the 2008 vintage in my ‘cellar’ and it has been aging beautifully. Tasted at Churchill Cellars Portfolio tasting May/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)G