Usually when the discussion turns to the world's greatest wines, it becomes a round-up of the usual suspects – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo and perhaps Champagne. What is rarely discussed is South America.

South American wine is frequently overlooked, underappreciated and undervalued, but that doesn't mean you can't find an eminently collectible wine at a pleasingly affordable price – after all, that's what Argentina and Chile have become specialists in. However, both countries also produce outstanding wines of great character and great quality; the type of wines that would cost substantially more if their labels said "Napa" or "Bordeaux".

Today, we are going to discuss a wine that is not just from a less-revered region than the usual candidates, but also one that is made from a less august grape variety – in this case, Malbec.

Malbec has proved to be a real star in Argentina and the country has made it their own. Instead of being an occasionally meaty blending component, as it is in Bordeaux, Argentinian Malbecs opt instead for intensity and structure; often opulent wines when young, but with superb aging potential.

The wine we are talking about is the 2018 Familia Zuccardi Finca Piedra Infinita Gravascal Malbec from the Altamira subregion of the Uco Valley in Mendoza.

Familia Zuccardi began when its founder Alberto Zuccardi moved to Mendoza to plant vines and it has grown to become one of the most prosperous and successful wineries in a region that also includes heavyweights like Achaval Ferrer and Catena Zapata.

The wine, a Malbec made with grapes picked from a small (1.8 acres) parcel of the Piedra Infinita (Infinity Stone) vineyard, was first made in 2015, but it was the 2018 that really put it on the map. Winemaker Sebastian Zuccardi said: "As I make this wine, I like to think it comes just from the right place. Those of us who work daily on this vineyard know some of its sites are very special and offer truly unique characteristics."

The vintage itself was a cracker, one of the best the wider Mendoza region has enjoyed. Zuccardi described conditions as  "cool and dry, which ensured exceptional plant health and yielded wines brimming with finesse and elegance. These climate conditions proved extraordinary for some parcels in Piedra Infinita Estate."

The critics agreed. The Wine Advocate's Luis Gutiérrez raved about it: "...notes reminiscent of some wines from the Northern Rhône, whose combination of orange peel, blood, and iron translates into freshness and minerality, laced with a chalky feel and a finish that offers both juiciness and texture. The Zuccardis have succeeded in fine-tuning these parcel wines, which they started growing experimentally in the harvest of 2015. Now, the 2018 harvest has come and it can only be exalted. Fine, elegant – simply sublime."

He topped off his praise with a 100-point score. UK wine critic Tim Atkin MW agreed, bestowing a 99-point score, while Chilean critic Patricio Tapia said: "Fruit flavors dominate the palate, giving a sensation of succulence and freshness at the same time. An essential wine in the recent history of Argentina." He gave it a 98, meaning it has an aggregate score of 99, impressive by any measure.

Those high scores account for the low number of stockists listed on Wine-Searcher. Only 32 offers remain for what is surely a must-have wine for any cellar – especially given its comparatively low global average retail price of $300.

And you can pick it up for less than that, with a little careful shopping. Alex Marton Fine Wines and Morgan Classic Wines – both in the UK – will do you a three-bottle case for $606, although that's an in-bond price, meaning there will be duty and tax payable at some stage in the future. Cru World Wine will also do these cases through their Hong Kong, London and Singapore outlets, while Wine.com has a single bottle for $270.

The offers are widely spread across the globe, but curiously the most expensive country to buy them is Argentina itself, along with neighboring Brazil.

Better get a wriggle on, though, as availability is dropping. And no surprise when you're looking at a pretty perfect wine at those kinds of prices.

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