On the importance of letting wine sit out or whatever

So I open this bottle of wine from a friend. It's got a drawing of a château on the label and it's looking pretty official. Open it up, take a sip—not good.

It's a 2007 Saint-Chinian from Château Comte Devaugelas. A little research reveals that these Saint-Chinians are packed with tannins, which makes them bitter until they oxidize properly. I didn't know that when I opened it. Thought it was just a gross bottle of wine.

I did some laundry and came back feeling desperate and open to anything. Took another sip—much better. Fuller, deeper, redder, nicer. Still had that peppery hint of black fruit and the mouth-feel of tannin, but drinkable. Very drinkable. 84.