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
Opi A.K.A. Rodolfo Sadler Malbec 2008, Mendoza
Argentina$12.95
The body of this wine is composed of black currant, blackberry and prune with aromas of cut hay, leather/musk. The tannins aren’t overly noticeable - 15 min to open, the body and finish is medium. My Impression: NOTHING SPECIAL to NICE. 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
1.0 Stars
(0)V
Miguel Torres Mas Borràs Pinot Noir 2008
Penedès, Spain$34.95
The 2008 Miguel Torres Mas Borràs Pinot Noir is a somewhat atypical Pinot. It is a light bodied, integrated wine, with nice notes of red currant, smoke and clove. It has a nice acidity, subtle tannins (decant for 30 min) and a bit fizzy, medium finish. It is ready to drink now and should be for the next couple of years at least. My impression: NICE, 88.5 pts. 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
0.5 Stars
(0)V
Cape Heritage Inception Deep Layered Red 2012
Western Cape, South Africa$12.45
The 2012 Inception Deep Layered Red, a blend of 81 % Shiraz, 10% Petit Verdot and 9% Mourvedre that matured in 300 L barrels for 12 to 14 months, has appealing aromas of toasted oak reminscent of Quertannin, cherry/black cherry cola, stems together with subtle lees and green pepper notes. It is a medium bodied, off-dry, fruity wine; with checked acidity, refined tannins (decant for 15 min) and a medium finish. Drink at a party or with food; drink now to 2018 (screw cap enclosure). Rated this party favorite at 85 pts. Tasted in Apr/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
0.5 Stars
(0)G
Château Saint Roch Chimères 2007, Ac Côtes Du Roussillon Villages
Languedoc, France$19.95
This medium bodied blend consisting of 65% Grenache, 5% Carignan and 30% Syrah has nicely aromatic, integrated notes of cherry, black currant, pine and green pepper. It is tannic (decant for 1 hour) with a medium to long, bretty finish. This wine can be aged for 5 to 10 more years. My impression: NICE, 89 pts. Tasted AGAIN in Aug/10 during French wine tasting and it was very well liked by other tasters.
One observation I would like to make is that even though this wine was released in February, there are still plenty of bottles left, which makes me conclude that it is not ALL THAT (as some critics say). However, on the other side, there are many reviews scoring above 90. So perhaps this wine is worthy of a try.
PREVIOUS RATING
(one for which I got a thumb up and a thumb down)
This fruity, medium bodied wine has notes of prune, bilberry and earthiness containing scents of pine. It struck me as a bit acidic and tannic (needs at least 30 min to open). This wine is nice, but I am not a fan of very plumy wines. It reminds me of some Jay Miller 90+ wines from Spain for under $15. Impression: NICE, 88 pts. 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
0.5 Stars
(0)V
Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz/Mourvèdre 2008, Barossa Valley
South Australia, Australia$24.95
The 2008 Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz/Mourvèdre is medium to full bodied, with nice, fruity aromas of strawberry and prune. Tannins are refined (decant for 15 min) and the finish is medium. This wine should be able to age nicely due to high alcohol, its body, cork and tannin structure, though I am not sure whether its complexity will increase to make this purchase a worthwhile. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL, 87 pts - there are finer examples around the $10 price range and therefore I would not recommend this wine. And this was given a 93 pts?????? 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/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy
0.5 Stars
(0)V
Los 800 2005, Doca Priorat
Spain$19.95
This nicely aromatic, medium bodied wine has fruity to integrated notes of prune, violets, pine and vanilla. The tannins are subtle to refined and the finish is medium. The sugar content is supposedly XD, but this wine is quite sweet – an unpleasant trade in my opinion. My impression: 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
0.5 Stars
(0)V
Bodegas Franco Espanolas Rioja Bordón Reserva 2004, Doca Rioja
Spain$19.95
The 2004 Bodegas Franco Espanolas Rioja Bordón Reserva is actually 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha and 5% Carignan/Cariñena/Mazuelo (label on the bottle vs. LCBO description). It is medium bodied, with intense, INTEGRATED to aged notes of red berries including red currant, oak, coconut, vanilla and faint leather. Tannins are refined (decant for half to full hour) and the finish is long. It is best to drink now, but can hold for 5 more years, when leather and musky notes will emerge. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 92 pts - a definitely recommended wine as there currently aren't any finer Rioja examples available (at least not at this price point) - just note it's Gold Medal. Tasted Dec/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
0.5 Stars
(0)V
Álvaro Palacios Camins Del Priorat 2008, Doca Priorat
Spain$25.95
The 2008 Álvaro Palacios Camins Del Priorat is a medium bodied, fruity to integrated, nicely aromatic wine, with notes of yogurty cherry, prune and oak. Tannins are subtle to refined (decant for 30 to 60 min) and the finish is medium to long. It is good to drink now, but would benefit from cellaring - drink 2013-2017. My impression: NICE to BEAUTIFUL, 88.5 - a recommended buy. 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/recomended-wines-you-can-still-buy
0.5 Stars
(0)V
D'arenberg D'arry's Original Shiraz Grenache 2006, Mclaren Vale, South Australia
Australia$19.95
The body of this very nice wine consists of strawberry notes followed by subtle cherry and bilberry. It is medium to full bodied with refined tannins and a medium to long finish. Be careful to drink this wine quickly as it oxidizes within 2-3 hours. 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
0.5 Stars
(0)V
Beronia Gran Reserva 2001, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$40.00
The 2001 Beronia Gran Reserva is light to medium bodied, with nicely aromatic notes of integrated red currant/cherry, cedar, coconut and vanilla. The tannins are refined (decant for half an hour or more), the acidity is not balanced (bit acidic) and the finish is long but light. I am a huge fan of the 2005 Beronia reserva (of which I still have almost a case of) and so I expected this wine to be similar, yet better. I find this wine to be too light, not what I expected at this price range. Because of the light body, I think aging is pointless, instead drink now. My impression: still NICE even though I was a bit disappointed, 90 pts and not a recommended buy due to $$, should cost around $20. Tasted Nov/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
0.5 Stars
(0)V