Gobelet vines in Moulin-à-Vent. Photograph: Jason Lowe

No wine region excites me more than Beaujolais. Over the past decade, it has benefited as much from an influx of new winemakers – among them savvy Burgundians and energetic youngsters – as it has a succession of superb vintages, of which 2015 is the most acclaimed. The best of the established domaines have risen to the challenge presented by these newcomers, and are now producing finer wines than ever before.

Increased diversity among the regions’ winemakers has accentuated the differences in terroir that make Beaujolais the source of such a wide array of styles of red wine, albeit all from a single varietal: Gamay. The starkest contrast can be found between thirst-quenching Beaujolais or Beaujolais Villages, for early drinking, and the most ambitious wines of Crus such as Moulin-à-Vent, which often require years to “come round”. While non-Cru wines invariably owe their bright, fruity character to carbonic maceration, many Moulin-à-Vents are made in the same fashion as red Burgundies (in some cases by the same winemaker, in the same winery).

Moulin-à-Vent is one of 10 Crus, which together account for the most prized vineyards in Beaujolais. Not all Cru wines benefit from ageing – the charm of Fleurie, for example, is never greater than in its early years, when its red fruit and floral aromas are at their most pronounced.

It is, of course, perilous to make generalisations about any wine region but, in terms of the Crus, Fleurie, Régnié and Chiroubles tend to be crisp, light and fruity; Juliénas starts out this way, then quickly broadens, becoming more succulent. Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent can be tannic, savoury and age-worthy. For me, Brouilly and Chénas – the latter with added spice – are crowd-pleasers but rarely match the complexity of Côte de Brouilly, whose haunting mineral character is attributed to its steeply sloped vineyards on blue and pink granite. St Amour seems the least distinctive of the Crus, but has its fair share of talented winemakers and is merits a look for its name alone!

Despite the differences outlined above, a study of the domaines we work with reveals certain recurring themes. The majority have vines of at least 50 years of age, which are worked biodynamically, organically or, at least, along the lines of lutte raisonnée. Those vines are, with few exceptions, trained en gobelet, meaning they are untrellised and harvested by hand. Given that hail and frost are perennial threats, it’s fair to say that the winemakers of Beaujolais – for all their buoyancy – do not have it easy. Another theme, true of producers across Beaujolais, is that their wines offer tremendous value for money.