in my experience, red wines in general are best after 2 years. there are some exceptions and it can vary a bit based on the kit size, wine type, overall quality, etc. but as a rule, the reds will not be at their best under 2 years. period. i think that kit taste does eventually subside in most reds after proper aging. but, your expectations have to also be adjusted to a $2-5 bottle of wine as well. most of the "good" commercial red wines i have, are at least 5 or 6 years old. meaning im drinking 2005's and these are very balanced, soft tannins, complex, supple, sophisticated. no harshness, tactile texture without being coarse. etc. the majority of these wines are from small producers and cost me at time of purchase, between $20-60/bottle with the majority in the $30 area. so, my expectation is that i cannot recreate that experience at $3 a bottle. but i can make something pretty decent for 10x less and save the $30 bottle for something other than quaffing....
since the kit taste is very subjective, different people will have different opinions on it. ive found that to people who dont know the wine was made from a kit, they are none the wiser provided the wine has sufficiently aged. i think knowing its made from a kit, from the winemakers perspective, you can tend to fall into a cycle of looking for flaws every time you taste the wine ("let's see if it's still crap"), rather than gaining some perspective and noting the progress ("its getting more balanced now, softer"). so, for me, i think its a mindset issue a bit too.
but generally, kits will usually not stand up to great grapes or juice. but grapes and juice can be much more psychotic and less consistent year to year (and more expensive, and more equipment and testing intensive)... lol. for everyday quaffing wine, a good quality kit cannot be beat for consistency and ease of production. for something more complex, individualistic, sublime, and age-worthy, grapes, frozen must, fresh juice are better options IMHO.
