The 2023 vintage return of the Belloni Vineyard Zinfandel to Joel Peterson's Once & Future lineup, reviving a 1990s Ravenswood stalwart, and the introduction of a 2023 Bedrock Belloni Vineyard Zinfandel, prompted me to an early comparison. While I didn’t open them side-by-side, I did have them on consecutive nights, so the Bedrock was fresh in my mind when I tried the O&F.
From a similarities standpoint, they both showed fresh, ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit tones. There was nothing syrupy or overripe in either wine, but both lived in the blue end of the fruit spectrum. It reminded me of other Russian River Valley Zins and Zin blends, especially the Bedrock Dolinsek. The two wines diverged somewhat after that, as the Bedrock showed more mid-palate richness, and a purer fruit expression, while the O&F presented notably higher in acidity (a la Ravenswood) and had a noticeable spice to go along with the blue fruit. The tannins were mostly buried in both wines due to the youthful fruit, though the O&F showed more tannin on the finish.
Ultimately the Bedrock was the rounder/richer of the two, and the O&F more linear. The O&F harkened back to the 1990s Ravenwood wines which I really liked. The Bedrock was clearly a Bedrock wine, and transparent to the RRV origins of the fruit.
Asked to pick a favorite, I can’t. I like them both.