Viña Zorzal’s *Pequeñas Puertas “Jirafas” 2023* is a limited, single-vineyard white from La Carbonela in Cintruénigo, in Spain’s D.O. Navarra. The wine is positioned as a site-specific expression of Viura—officially described as 100% Viura—made with a low-intervention mindset and raised for about 15 months in the same vessels used for fermentation: a sealed 700-liter concrete egg and a 500-liter oak barrel. Alcohol is 13.5%.

Critical reception has been notably strong, led by an excellent **97-point** review from **Vinous**, where the critic highlights both clarity and structure. Vinous notes that, “Aged in 500-liter barrels and concrete egg, the 2023 Jirafa offers clear and expressive scents of white fruit, lime, pear, hints of white flowers and delicate herbal notes of fennel and gentian,” adding that it’s “all framed by a faint reductive edge.” On the palate, Vinous emphasizes the measured use of wood: “Subtle oak shapes the broad, layered palate without dominating the fruit,” and describes a finish with “ripe fruit with touches of cream and light caramel.” The publication concludes that it “stands out for its precision and balance,” combining Viura’s “tension” with “barrel-derived creaminess” while retaining “freshness, texture and length.”

**James Suckling** also rates the wine highly at **94 points**, focusing on its aromatic detail and drive. Senior Editor Jacobo García Andrade writes: “Chamomile on the nose with lemon peel and elegant minerals,” followed by a “savory, persistent and incisive” medium- to full-bodied palate. He underlines its origin—“This is a single-vineyard viura”—and recommends, “Drink or hold.”

Overall, Jirafas 2023 reads as a serious Navarra white: textured and layered, but built around freshness, mineral detail, and controlled, supportive élevage rather than overt oak.