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
Marchesi Di Barolo Maràia Barbera Monferrato 2006, Doc
Piedmont, Italy$16.95
This light bodied wine has integrated notes of raspberry and cherry. Tannins are subtle to refined (decant for 30 min to 1 hr) and the finish is medium. My impression is: NOTHING SPECIAL. 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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
Castillo De Monseran Garnacha 2008
Spain$9.95
From the general LCBO section, a nicely fruity Grenache of the 2008 vintage. This wine has a light body with strawberry and red currant notes. Tannins are subtle (no need for decanting) and the finish is medium. It has the potential to age for 2 or more years. My impression: VERY NICE, 86 pts - a recommended buy. For $9, this is an outstanding value - sometimes it is nice to drink a wine that is simple (lacking complexity) yet delightful. Tasted in Sept/10 during Spanish wine tasting, overall appreciated.
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
2.5 Stars
(0)G
Neirano Bonimúr Nebbiolo Langhe 2006, Doc
Piedmont, Italy$15.60
This affordable Nebbiolo from the Piedmont region, which produces Barolo and Barbaresco wines for 4 times the price, is quite comparable to its pricy siblings (tried alongside MASSIMO RIVETTI SERRABOELLA RISERVA BARBARESCO 2003 – LCBO# 121533). This beautifully aromatic wine has integrated notes of liquorice, cherry, bilberry, violets and pine. It is quite tannic (open for 1 to 2 hours) and has a medium to long finish. This wine can easily age for 10 to 20 years (nice long cork). It is great to drink now (tannin lovers) or can be put away for several years for the tannins to soften. My impression: BEAUTIFUL. Tasted several times, reviewed 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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
Symington Family Estates Altano 2007, Doc Douro
Portugal$12.95
This medium bodied wine has fruity to integrated notes of prune. It has an unappealing smell upon opening, which goes away in about 30 min of decanting. It is slightly acidic and slightly bretty, which also gets better as the wine breathes. Tannins are subtle and finish is medium. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL. Tasted Apr/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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
Cabeço Da Pedra 2007, Vinho Regional Ribatejano
Portugal$11.95
This wine won a Gold Medal at the Wine Masters Challenge 2009 in Portugal. It is medium bodied, fruity to integrated wine with aromas of strawberry, oak, smoke and earth. It is quite alcoholic and tannic (needed to open for an hour or so) and has a short finish. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL to NICE. Tasted Jan/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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
Giordano Maestri Italiani Nebbiolo D'alba 2007, Doc
Piedmont, Italy$16.95
This nicely aromatic wine was unusually light for Nebbiolo grape, dominated with cut hay aromas upon opening and followed by light berry and violet scents. I expected notes of rose and liquorice, but didn’t sense them. I don’t think there is a need to age this wine as I doubt it will evolve anymore. The tannins were refined to tannic and the finish was medium. All in all, this wine is very nice after 1 hour of sitting in the decanter, but I think that in comparison to other value Nebbiolos there is no potential for aging and hence I would not stock up on it especially when the cost should not exceed $15. Overall impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL. Tasted Feb/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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
Marqués De Valcarlos Crianza 2005, Do Navarra
Spain$13.95
Last night, I decided to compare this wine with Marques de Valcarlos Reserva 2000 (Released on Nov27/09, 928853). This wine is quite light, unfragranced, acidic and tannic when first opened, it needs to be decanted for over an hour to show its full might. Once opened, this wine is fruity to integrated, light to medium bodied with aromas of raspberry, red currant and slight scents of pine and vanilla. This wine would benefit from 2-3 years of aging, but is good to drink now if properly decanted. It is tannic with a medium finish. My impression: just NICE. Tasted Mar/10.
Previous rating.
I am a fan of Marques de Valcarlos and thus I had to grab a bottle as soon as it came out. It is a nicely integrated wine with scents of oak, vanilla, raspberry and red currant. It is at its peak now, but can still gracefully age for another 5 years. The wine has refined tannins with a medium body and finish and needs 30 min to an hour to open. This wine could easily be sold at $17 without any complaints. Stock up before it's all gone, I am glad I did. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL. Tasted Feb/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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
Tabalí Reserva Carmenère 2007, Limarí Valley
Chile$14.95
This medium to full bodied wine has aromas of red currant, bilberry, pine and green pepper. The tannins are subtle to redined (decant for 15 min), the fruit is somewhere between fruity and integrated and the finish is medium. The wine should be best around 2012-2016. My impression: NICE. 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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
Bodegas Ateca Old Vines Garnacha De Fuego 2008, Do Catalayud
Spain$12.95
This light to medium bodied Garnacha has fruity to integrated aromas of cherry, prune and pine. It is a bit closed upon opening and I highly recommend decanting for 1 hour. Once opened, the body will shift from light to medium and the pine notes appear. Tannins are subtle and the finish is medium. I feel that this wine should age at least couple of years for it to open up. My impression: just barely NICE. Tasted Apr/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
2.5 Stars
(0)V
35 South Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Chile$12.95
The 2010 35° South Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon is medium bodied, fruity wine with notes of strawberry and bilberry. Tannins are refined (drink upon opening) and the finish is medium to long. Drink now and for the next couple of years. My impression: NICE, 86.5 pts - palate is more reminiscent of Shiraz than Cab. 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
2.5 Stars
(0)G